Prakash Padukone Fumes at Indian Shuttlers After Lakshya Sen's Defeat

India's Lakshya Sen may have achieved a historic semi-final spot at the Olympics, a feat no other Indian male shuttler has reached, but his mentor, Prakash Padukone, was deeply disappointed with the missed medal opportunity. Padukone, the esteemed former Indian shuttler, did not hold back in his criticism of the badminton team’s performance in Paris, despite the presence of key players like Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, and two-time medalist PV Sindhu.

After Lakshya’s loss, which concluded India's badminton campaign, Padukone criticized the players for not living up to expectations, pointing out that they have received substantial government support and should “take responsibility” for their lackluster results.

“Since Milkha Singh in '64 and PT Usha in the '80s, we’ve seen numerous fourth-place finishes. It’s time for the players to assume responsibility,” Padukone remarked. “I, along with Vimal, am disappointed with Lakshya’s fourth place. He certainly had the potential to win a medal. While Viktor Axelsen might consider Lakshya as the next best, that’s not enough because a medal was within reach. 

“If he had lost decisively, it would be a different story. But given that he reached this far and even took the lead… Despite his youth, that should not be an excuse. He needs to take responsibility and put in more effort,” Padukone asserted firmly.

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