Paris Olympics 2024: A day after Lakshya Sen's upset against Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia. Sen become the first Indian male shuttler to make it into the Olympics' semis in singles badminton, and lost out on a medal with this loss. But, former olympians Abhinav Bindra and Vivek Rasquinha, have sent their support to the youngster.
Speaking about the loss, Sen said he was "well prepared", adding "it has been quite a tough week overall". "The fatigue kept on building. But I mean, I was ready to give my 100 per cent in this match,” a crestfallen Sen told PTI after the match.
Former Olympian and India's lone gold medalist in shooting Abhinav Bindra speaking to youtube channel RevSportz, expressed support and sympathy for players "who finished fourth" and missed out on medals by a whisker, including Sen.
“Competing at the Olympics is an extraordinary challenge. It's a testament to the dedication and sacrifice of every athlete. I'm incredibly proud of the five Indian athletes who finished fourth in the Paris Olympics," Bindra said.
"It's a difficult time for them, but to come so close to a medal is a monumental achievement for them. It is important to recognise the hard work of not just the athletes but also the coaches, their families and the support staff. We must always stand by our athletes and appreciate the fight and resilience they demonstrate. This is a sport, not everyone can win, but in their relentless pursuit, they have already proven themselves,"he consoled.
"There will always be a time to reassess, but that time is not now. Now is the time to celebrate these athletes who represent the hopes and dreams of 1.4 billion Indians,” he added.
Meanwhile, Viren Rasquinha, the former captain of the Indian hockey team and Oympian also asked for "understanding" towards those who finished in fourth place.
"There are already 5 athletes or events where India has finished 4th at Paris 2024. It is very hard on them, their families and people who work with them 24/7. There is a time to be tough on our athletes and there is a time to be empathetic. Understanding what to do when is crucial," he wrote on social media site X (formerly known as Twitter).
Earlier in the day, Sen's coach and badminton legend Prakash Padukone had expressed his disappointment in Sen's performance, and called for players to "take responsibility".
"... I am a little disappointed that we couldn't get one medal from badminton. We were contenders for 3 medals. So, at least, one I would have been happy. I am personally disappointed...It's high time the players also need to take some responsibility," Padukone told reporters in Paris.
“After Milkha Singh in '64 and PT Usha in the 80s, we have had so many fourth-place finishes. I think that it’s high time that the players also take responsibility,” he added.
Notably, this is the first time since 2008 that India's badminton contingent has failed to nab a single Olympics medal for the country. The country's medals tally currently stands at 3 — all bronze in shooting (women's 10m air pistol, 10m air pistol mixed team, and men's 50m rifle 3 positions).
Earlier last week, double-Olympic medallist PV Sindhu incurred a heartbreaking exit in the pre-quarters, while the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the Asian Games champions, who were touted for the elusive gold, were stunned in the quarters.
HS Prannoy, on the other hand, was defeated by Lakshya in the round of 16 and the women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto suffered a group-stage exit.
About the players who missed medals and landed fourth included mixed team of Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat missed out on the bronze in archery; Arjun Babuta in men's 10m air rifle shooting; and Manu Bhaker, who won two historic bronze in shooting, but fell short of a third medal in the 25m rapid pistol final to finish fourth.
