Indian badminton star Ashwini Ponappa has refuted the claims about getting funds from TOPS scheme for the recent Paris Olympics. Ashwini took to social media and wrote, “ 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”.
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.https://t.co/l7gb1C36Tf @PTI_News
— Ashwini Ponnappa (@P9Ashwini) August 13, 2024
The Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) Mission Olympic Cell reportedly spent Rs. 72.03 crore on the badminton contingent, from the total pool of nearly Rs 470 crore. Despite the significant investment, the results in Paris fell short of expectation
The report stated that the women’s doubles pair of Ashwini and Tanisha received ₹1.5 crore each. The doubles specialist said that she was not the part of TOPS scheme and did not receive any funding, “I was not even part of any organisation or TOPS for funding”.
She further added,”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. Do get your facts checked before publishing anything about us and the financials that we put in to get ourselves ready for the Olympics
TOPS also known as Target Olympic Podium Scheme is an initiative by Sports Authority of India (SAI) to help budding athletes compete in the Olympics.
How did Ashwini Ponappa fare during the Paris Olympics?
Ashwini Ponappa was a part of the Indian badminton contingent that failed to win a single medal at Paris Olympics. Ponappa paired up with Tanisha Crasto for the women’s doubles badminton event. However, the duo had a poor outing at the Paris Olympics. The Indian pair not only failed to win a single match but even could not win a single game in three outings. The result saw them exit in the group stage of the competition.
