Indian badminton’s solitary bronze medal at the Asian Games should be viewed as a disappointment rather than an aberration, according to former All England champion Prakash Padukone, who believes the country’s leading shuttlers have the wherewithal to be far more consistent.
“It was a little disappointing. We should have done much better,” Padukone said here on Thursday. “Considering the kind of talent we have, we should have done much better. Even I was expecting, if not better, to at least equal last time’s medal tally.”
Padukone, however, stopped short of reading too much into the Asian Games results. Instead, he called for greater consistency from India’s established players, who have often followed big tournament victories with early exits. “They play throughout the year, so it’s extremely difficult to be on top all the time. But I would definitely like the players to be more consistent. And it is possible. It is not due to lack of support — they have a lot of support. They need to put in a little more effort.”
Padukone was in the city to announce a collaboration between Padukone School of Badminton and International Institute of Sports Management. He suggested that Indian players identify four or five important tournaments in a year and peak there while avoiding first-round exits at other events.
India’s singles pipeline gives him reason for optimism. Ayush Shetty has emerged in the men’s section while Unnati Hooda and Tanvi Sharma are among the promising women’s players.
“Singles has always been our strength and that will continue,” he said while acknowledging that replacing established doubles combinations could be more difficult.
Padukone singled out P.V. Sindhu as an example for others to emulate. Sindhu’s Japan Open triumph, he said, showed that she remained driven despite an enviable medal collection. “She is 31 now, she has won so many medals, she can easily rest on her laurels and be happy. But she still wants to push.”
Published – October 08, 2026 08:18 pm IST
