The Indian contingent of more than 100 athletes arrived in Paris less than a fortnight back with the aim to match or even beat their best-ever feat of seven medals claimed at the Tokyo Games three years back. On the 10th day of the competition, Lakshya Sen, who became the first Indian male shuttler to make the semis in singles badminton, had the chance to win a fourth medal for the country, and so did the skeet mixed team pair of Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Naruka, both in their respective bronze-medal face-offs. However, it ended in a heartbreak for India, with both medal chances lost.

Badminton legend Prakash Padukone, in particular, was not impressed with the missed opportunity, especially from Lakshya Sen, who won the opening game against Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia, before conceding the next two to lose the opportunity to become the first Indian male shuttler to win a medal the Games.

With Lakshya's loss, India's badminton contingent failed to clinch a single medal at the Olympics for the first time since 2008. Earlier last week, double-Olympic medallist PV Sindhu incurred a heartbreaking exit in the pre-quarters, while the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the Asian Games champions, who were touted for the elusive gold, were stunned in the quarters. HS Prannoy, on the other hand, was defeated by Lakshya in the round of 16 and the women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto suffered a group-stage exit.

"... I am a little disappointed that we couldn't get one medal from badminton," Prakash Padukone told reporters in Paris on Monday. "We were contenders for 3 medals. So, at least, one I would have been happy. I am personally disappointed. But, having said that, this time, the government, the SAI and the foundations, the TOPs, everybody have done their bit. So, I have nothing against it... I don't think anybody could have done anything more than what the government has done, the Sports Ministry, TOPs has done. It's high time the players also need to take some responsibility.

"All these years we could say there were not enough facilities or encouragement. But, I think this time, it's only better. Especially, the top 30 players, I am not just talking about badminton. Across all sports, the top 30-40 who had chances of winning medals, were given whatever they wanted. Sometimes, even if they were unreasonable demands, they have been met," he added.

Lakshya Sen gets support from Abhinav Bindra

Amid the rising support over Padukone's statement, India’s lone Olympic gold medalist in shooting Abhinav Bindra, on Monday came in support of not just Lakshya, but the other six athletes who incurred a fourth-place finish in their respective disciplines.

“Competing at the Olympics is an extraordinary challenge. It's a testament to the dedication and sacrifice of every athlete. I'm incredibly proud of the five Indian athletes who finished fourth in the Paris Olympics. It's a difficult time for them, but to come so close to a medal is a monumental achievement for them. It is important to recognise the hard work of not just the athletes but also the coaches, their families and the support staff. We must always stand by our athletes and appreciate the fight and resilience they demonstrate. This is a sport, not everyone can win, but in their relentless pursuit, they have already proven themselves. There will always be a time to reassess, but that time is not now. Now is the time to celebrate these athletes who represent the hopes and dreams of 1.4 billion Indians,” he told RevSportz.

Manu Bhaker, who won two historic bronze in shooting, fell short of a third medal in the 25m rapid pistol final to finish fourth. Meanwhile, mixed team of Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat missed out on the bronze in archery while Arjun Babuta incurred a similar fate in men's 10m air rifle shooting.

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