Former Indian opener and now cricket presenter, Sunil Gavaskar, is renowned for his candid opinions and often criticizes subpar performances across various sports. Recently, Gavaskar addressed the controversy involving former Indian badminton star Prakash Padukone.
Padukone had commented that athletes should also be held accountable for their losses. This statement came in the wake of Lakshya Sen’s failure to secure a medal at the 2024 Olympics, despite making it to the semifinals.
Padukone’s comments sparked backlash, with several athletes accusing him of unfairly blaming Sen. In reply, Gavaskar defended Padukone, stating that the only area where Indians seem to excel is in making excuse.
“He has always been reticent and publicity-shy, and he goes about his life with as much quiet as his famous dribble at the net. Therefore, his frank comments after the badminton disappointment came as a surprise to so many who have known him over the years to keep his counsel and not say much,” the Indian batting great said.
“It also stirred up a debate where the majority tried, as is the modern way, to take the side of a current would-be champion and not that of a past-proven world champion. Making excuses is where our country will win gold medals every single time, so the debate around his assessment was more about that than looking without tinted glasses,” Gavaskar said.
“And what did he say? He said that the players today get all the backing and facilities from their Federations and the government too. Therefore, they should take responsibility for their performances too. It was a point well-made and well-articulated too, without pointing fingers at anybody,” added Gavaskar.
India’s performance in the Olympics has been improving over the years, but it still lags behind countries like the USA and China. In a recent Olympic Games, India won a total of 5 medals, including 1 silver and 4 bronze.
The USA dominated the medal tally with 126 medals, showcasing their strength across a wide range of sports. China also had an impressive haul, securing 91 medals. These numbers highlight the vast difference in the scale of success between India and the leading Olympic nations.