Indian doubles badminton player Ashwini Ponnappa has expressed disappointment after the country's sports funding body claimed she received substantial financial support for the Paris Olympics 2024, stating that the amount mentioned was incorrectly attributed to her.
Ponnappa made her third appearance at the Olympics this year but saw her campaign come to an early end in the women's doubles event where she paired with Tanisha Crasto. The duo could not register a single win in the group stage.
While taking responsibility for her on-court performance, Ponnappa hit out at the Sports Authority of India for stating in a recent document that she had received Rs. 4.5 lakhs under the TOPS scheme and over Rs. 1.48 crores under the Annual Training Calendar.
In her remarks to the press, Ponnappa said “I am shocked to see these figures being declared as the funding given to me. I have not received any such amounts from the authorities.”
She clarified that the amounts mentioned possibly included expenditures on the national camp over multiple years where she was part of the team. However, she emphasized that for the Paris cycle alone, she did not avail financial assistance from the sports ministry.
Ponnappa also disclosed that her preferred coach was not approved and she had to arrange for a personal trainer on her own. Recalling her grievances, the shuttler urged the sports body to accurately represent the support provided to athletes to avoid confusion.
While acknowledging the backing received from the ministry in the past, Ponnappa's comments shed light on certain gaps in facilitation in the Olympic build-up phase. The shuttler's early ouster from Paris also brought her Olympic journey to a disappointing end.
