The Indian team mentor said that the players had been receiving adequate support from the government and that they should “take responsibility” for their performances.
In an interview with THE WEEK, the former All-England champion stood by his statement, and pointed to Neeraj Chopra and Manu Bhaker as examples of athletes who take responsibility. He also spoke about another Olympics for P.V. Sindhu, and what’s ahead for Indian badminton. Excerpts:
Q/ This is the first time since 2012 that badminton has not given India an Olympic medal.
A/ I was expecting at least two medals. This could have come from our men’s singles, women’s singles or men’s doubles players. The fact that we did not get even one medal definitely disappointed the entire nation, including me.
Q/ You spoke about athletes taking responsibility for their performances. What did you think about the reaction to that statement? The sporting world seemed divided.
A/ I have done my job as a well-wisher of Indian sport to start a dialogue. I do not gain anything personally by commenting on the players. I have only stated a fact. I am also aware that most players will not agree with my views. They are entitled to their opinion. Even if four or five players across different sports take my advice in the right spirit, I would have achieved my objective. If not, we can continue to be happy with single-digit medals at the Olympics or even fourth-place finishes.
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