"High Time Players Step Up": 'Disappointed' Prakash Padukone Blasts Athletes' Near Misses In Paris

Lakshya Sen's heartbreaking loss to Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia in the bronze medal match in the 2024 Paris Olympics has confirmed the Indian badminton contingent's failure to win a medal at the Games. Following the loss, India's badminton legend Prakash Padukone, the coach and mentor of the team, stated that it was "high time the players step up and win". "All the support and finances needed to perform at the top level were given to the Indian players. It's not like earlier times when our players lacked facilities and funds. So, it's high time our players step up and win as expected," Padukone told reporters after Lakshya Sen lost his bronze medal match.

Besides Sen's impressive performance, which saw him become the first Indian shuttler to reach the semifinals of the men's singles event, the rest exited the tournament in an underwhelming fashion.

P.V. Sindhu lost to China's He Bing Jiao in the Round of 16 in the women's singles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost to Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the men's doubles quarterfinals. H.S. Prannoy was eliminated by Lakshya Sen in the Round of 16 whereas Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto did not even make it out of the Group Stage in the women's doubles event.

“I am a little disappointed in our performance that we could not even get a single medal from Badminton. Like I have said before, we were contenders for three medals so at least one would have made me happy. But having said this, this time the Government, Sports Authority of India, and Sports Ministry everybody has done their best and I don't think anyone could have done anything more than what the Government has done so I think the players also need to take responsibility," added the veteran.

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