The Paris Olympics 2024 has been a mixed experience for Indian sports fans. Following the remarkable success of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where India secured a record seven medals, expectations were high for an even better performance in Paris. Unfortunately, despite a series of narrow misses and some unfortunate events, like Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification, India ended up with six medals.
Badminton, a sport in which India has traditionally performed well, failed to bring home any medals this time. Since the 2012 Olympics, Indian badminton players have consistently won at least one medal. However, this time the star duo of Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty did not advance to the semi-finals. Lakshya Sen, the singles player, became the first Indian male shuttler to reach an Olympic semi-final but fell short in crucial matches, despite being in strong positions.
In light of these performances, badminton legend Prakash Padukone urged the sport’s stars to deliver better results, given the ample support from the government and other stakeholders. Padukone’s comments sparked controversy, but former Indian cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar defended him while criticizing Lakshya Sen’s performance.
Gavaskar highlighted Padukone’s long-standing involvement with Sen, noting that Padukone had guided and mentored him closely. In a column for Sportstar, Gavaskar reflected on Sen’s performance, expressing disappointment over Sen’s inability to capitalize on his lead in the semi-final against Viktor Axelsen and his subsequent loss in the bronze medal match against Lee Zii Jia, despite winning the first game comfortably. .
Gavaskar suggested that Sen appeared to lose focus and concentration during these critical moments. Observing Sen’s body language, such as his blank expressions and distracted behavior during breaks, Gavaskar felt that Sen’s mental focus might have faltered. He noted that concentration and focus are difficult to teach and must come from within the athlete. While mind trainers can offer some assistance, the ultimate responsibility lies with the athlete to develop these traits through personal resolve and observation of other champions.