New Delhi

Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has backed ex-badminton player Prakash Padukone's comments criticising Lakshya Sen for failing to win an Olympic medal at the Paris Games. Lakshya finished fourth in the men's individual round after losing to Victor Axelsen in semis and Lee Zii Jia in the bronze medal match.

Advertisment

"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 at what he said," Gavaskar wrote in his column for sports magazine Sportstar.

Also Read: Vinesh Phogat feeling 'little better' but not talking to anyone, reveal sources as Paris Games verdict awaited

It is to be noted that Lakshya's mentor Padukone had called out the badminton player saying: “Had he lost comfortably, it would have been a different issue. But to have come this far, to have taken the lead…I know he is young, but he cannot give this as an excuse. Take the responsibility and work harder.”

Advertisment

Gavaskar backed Padukone's statements and wrote: "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."

"Yet as it invariably happens in our country, which again is a champion at reading between so-called lines and imagining unintended poisoned arrows, we were quick to jump on him and denounce his comments rather than take the time to digest them and then come out with our comparatively uninformed views."

Lakshya, on the other hand, has vowed to come out stronger and win a medal in the next Olympics, scheduled in 2028 in Los Angeles, USA.

Advertisment

"I am determined to reflect on what went wrong and where I need to improve. I sincerely request space and privacy at this time to regroup, come back stronger, and win laurels for India," wrote the history-maker Indian badminton player.