Paris Olympics 2024: Ever since the interview by Prakash Padukone went viral, Indian badminton star Ashwini Ponappa has been defending the athletes. The Indian doubles badminton specialists on Tuesday busted another report stating it as factless.
The Sports Authority Of India released a document stating the financial support provided to Paris-bound athletes. The document mentioned that Ashwini received ₹4,50,000 under TOPS and ₹1,48,04,080 under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC).
The claims left the Indian doubles star furious and she went to social media to bust this report. She was in no mood for jokes and called out the article for being factless. Furthermore, Ponappa went to PTI to showcase her disdain for the article.
‘Paid From My Pocket’
Ashwini stated “I’m absolutely shocked.. I don’t mind not getting money but telling the nation that I got money is ridiculous. I haven’t received it. Like if you’re talking about a national camp, then that ₹1.5 Crore is spent on all the campers.
I don’t have a specific coach. As for my personalized trainer, I’m paying for him myself. I’m not taking money from anyone. I’ve played on my own until November (2023). I was included as part of TOPS only after we qualified.”
Paris Olympics 2024: Grateful
Even after such claims, Ponappa did not deny the fact that the ministry has always supported her. She stated that she is grateful to the Ministry and took responsibility for her underwhelming performance at the Paris Olympics 2024.
“The ministry has always supported me. I’ve been part of the team for years and I’m grateful for the support I’ve received. The last year I haven’t been supported and it’s ok. But you can’t say I’ve been given Rs 1.5 crore if it’s over four years, fair enough.
I haven’t played well, irrespective of the coach not being there, I take responsibility for that. But you can’t say I’m getting this amount when I haven’t even got this amount,” she concluded.
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