“Ridiculous”, “Such an irresponsible statement” - Fans slam Prakash Padukone for criticizing Indian athletes at the Paris Olympics

Prakash Padukone has found himself in hot water with Indian sporting enthusiasts on the internet after his criticism of the nation's athletes went viral. The former badminton player made some controversial comments about the nation’s contingent at the Paris Olympics, and fans quickly joined in on the discussion to defend their favorite athletes.

At the Games, Padukone's star pupil, Lakshya Sen, missed out on a medal that was within arm's reach after he lost his bronze medal match to Lee Zii Jia. The Indian had beaten the Malaysian on multiple occasions in the past but wasn't able to make it through when it mattered the most despite winning the first game and leading for a good chunk in the second.

Post this, Prakash Padukone spoke to the media, claiming that Indian athletes got plenty of support from federations and the government, and simply needed to work harder to perform at the highest levels of their sports.

"The players also need to introspect. You can't just keep asking for more and more and more. Maybe the players are not working hard enough to get a medal at the Olympics," he said.

Understandably, the statement left a lot of fans fuming, with one writing on X,

“Ridiculous. Never seen coaches blame players like this. That guy was 22 ranked, faced a much better opponents and fought valiantly, gave his heart. That is what matters to all of us.”

Another called the coach’s statement irresponsible, saying,

“Come on, man needs to chill, he is 22, he was not even seeded and gave the best possible fight against the gold medalist. This is such an irresponsible statement considering the timing. At this moment Prakash Padukone should have rather come out in Lakshya’s defense."

Other fans expressed similar outrage over Prakash Padukone’s comments about Indian athletes.

“Useless statement. This might be true for athletes who lost from a clear winning position OR athletes who have won World Championships. That is a maximum of 5 out of 120 athletes. Others are not good enough because we invest in top players, not the system/grassroots from age 10,” one X user wrote.

“Boomer vibe detected,like parents saying -' you have your own room to study, why aren't you topping, we studied under streetlights'. Uncle is talking as if the other countries don't have any facilities. It's not like Cricket where @BCCI >> all the other boards combined,” another added.

“Lakshya Sen has achieved something which no Indian players had achieved so far, by reaching the Men’s Semi-final. Prakash Padukone should stand by Lakshya Sen at times like this and not criticize him in media,” a third chimed in.

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Prakash Padukone expresses disappointment over India's lack of a medal finish in badminton

India sent a team of seven shuttlers to the Paris Olympics and were strong contenders to return home with multiple medals, including a gold. However, those dreams went crashing down when Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost their quarterfinals, and PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy lost their respective round of 16 matches.

Post that, the lone Indian shuttler standing in the marquee event was Lakshya Sen, and he made history when he entered the men's singles semifinals, becoming the first person from the country to do so. However, the 22-year-old failed to capitalize on his form and claim a medal, leaving Prakash Padukone disappointed.

“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,” Padukone told media in the same interview.

This is the first time India has failed to win a medal in badminton at the Olympic Games in 12 years. Sen's near miss in the bronze medal match has been the theme for the nation's overall campaign in Paris so far, and fans will hope to see a familiar face on the podium in the coming days.