Veteran badminton player Ashwini Ponnappa slammed media reports which stated that she and doubles partner Tanisha Crasto received Rs 1.5 crore (Rs 15 million) from the sports ministry to prepare for the Paris Olympics.
Ponnappa and Crasto bowed out of the Paris Olympics after losing all their three group stage matches.
In their review of the India's badminton players' showing at the Paris Games, PTI posted a news report on Monday which claimed that Ponnappa and Crasto 'received Rs 1.5 crore each in support'.
An angry Ashwini slammed the reports saying that she didn't 'receive this money'.
'How can an article be written without getting facts right? How can this lie be written? Received 1.5 CR each? From whom? For what? I haven't received this money. I was not even part of any organisation or TOPS for funding,' Ashwini tweeted on X.
The 34 year old, who has featured in three Olympic Games including London 2012 and Rio 2016, said she had been paying from her own pocket to travel for tournaments to qualify for the Paris Games.
'I have funded myself for tournaments until Nov last year, after which I was sent with the Indian team for tournaments as I met the selection criteria to make the team. I was included as part of TOPS scheme only after qualifying for the Paris 2024 Games till the Olympic Games, that's it,' Ashwini added on X.
'The real facts are I am "not funded" by any organisation. I was included in TOPS after our qualification, that too for the duration till the Olympics only. Haven't taken money from any of the support organisations and CSR development groups.'
Ashwini also revealed that their doubles coach was not allowed to travel with them for the Paris Games.
'The fact is, as far as support goes, we wanted our doubles coach, who is such an integral part of our doubles team, to travel with us, and we were denied this.'
Earlier, Ashwini criticised the legendary Prakash Padukone following his controversial comments after Lakshya Sen's shocking loss in the bronze medal play-off of the Paris Olympics.
Padukone said it's high time that players learn to withstand pressure, take responsibility, and deliver results after receiving significant support from the government.
'Disappointing to see this. If a player wins, everyone jumps on the bandwagon to take credit, and if they lose, it's just the player's fault?!" Ashwini posted on Instagram.
'Why aren't coaches held responsible for lack of preparation and getting the player ready? They are the first ones to take credit for wins; why not take responsibility for their players' losses as well?
'At the end of the day, winning takes team effort and losing is also the team's responsibility. You can't suddenly push the player under the bus and blame it all on the player.'
