Indian Doubles Badminton Speciallist Ashwini Ponnappa Refutes Getting Olympic Funding

New Delhi: Indian doubles badminton specialist Ashwini Ponnappa on Tuesday acknowledged she received little to no character financial support from the sporting concerns to do concerns to do ministry within the construct as much as Paris Olympics 2024 and even her request for a became became down beforehand of the simply-concluded Games.

The Determine routines concerns to do Authority of India (SAI) had come out with a document, detailing the financial support provided to the Paris-convinced Indian athletes. It mentions that Ashwini became provided Rs four,50,000 less than TOPS and Rs 1,forty eight,04,080 less than Annual Calendar for Coaching and Opposition (ACTC), which covered the procurement of Recreation Equipped restoration gear, international competitions and sparring associate within the Tokyo cycle.

“I’m absolutely bowled over.. I don’t mind no longer getting cash even with telling the nation that I bought cash is ridiculous. I haven’t received it. Like at the identical time you’re conversing about u . s . wide camp, then that 1.5 Crore is spent on all the campers,” Ashwini told PTI.
“I don’t have a convinced . As for my custom-made trainer, I’m buying him myself. I’m no longer taking cash from every someone. I’ve played on my man or woman unless November (2023). I was once covered as factor of TOPS best after we qualified…”

Ashwini, 34, has been among essentially the most head Indian doubles participant, having bought a gold, a silver and a bronze within the Commonwealth Games 2010, 2014 and 2018 respectively. She has also competed within the London and Rio Olympics with Jwala Gutta. Detailing the Rs 1.forty eight crore spending, a SAI supply acknowledged: “The Rs 1.forty eight crore has been spent on her on tour, proceed to be, foods, opposition value, DA in all the competitions that she participated in as factor of the Indian community within the Paris cycle. “This cash is given to BAI as factor of ACTC.”

Ashwini, who had paired with N Sikki Reddy unless August, 2022, joined hands with Tanisha Crasto in December that year and began taking part in in international tournaments from January 2023. A sequence of good performances helped them seal their Paris berth, after which the duo had been covered within the TOPS scheme in May this year.

“The ministry has always supported me. I’ve been factor of the community for years and I’m grateful for the support I’ve received,” Ashwini acknowledged. “The final year I haven’t been supported and it’s good plentiful. Along with the fact that you would be outfitted to’t say I’ve been given Rs 1.5 crore, if it’s over four years, cheap plentiful. As I was once TOPS when I was once partnering Sikki.”

Playing her 0.33 Olympics, Ashwini became left in tears after she and her associate Tanisha couldn’t win a single match to make an unceremonious exit from the community stage. “I haven’t played adequately, regardless of the no longer being there, I take responsibility for that. Along with the fact that you would be outfitted to’t say I’m getting this volume when I haven’t even bought this volume,” she acknowledged.