"Apologies for not having put up a good show" - Ashwini Ponnappa shares emotional message post Paris Olympics exit
A few days back when the Indian pair Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto bowed out of the Paris Olympics 2024, both were seen in tears. Ponnappa, who is currently 34, announced after the last match that this was her last Olympics outing.
While speaking she broke down and was sobbing. And now, three days after the exit, she has taken to social media to share an emotional message.
Ponappa wrote on Instagram:
"Hey Everyone. Apologies for not having put up a good show. Really wish I could’ve played good badminton, but sometimes when you want something really bad the opposite tends to happen. It hasn’t been easy accepting it, but it is what it is."
She added:
"I’m super grateful to Tanisha Crasto for giving me a chance to fight together for a spot at the Olympics when the odds were pretty much stacked up against us. It’s been a crazy journey, but glad we stuck it out together. Thanks a ton to all my family, friends, coaches (badminton and non badminton) physios and well wishers for giving me the strength to keep my head high and keep fighting when things seemed really hard."
"And finally, thank you to all of you here who follow me (despite my lack of posting stuff) and have been positive through out my tumultuous badminton journey so far. I am truly grateful for your support and appreciate all the positivity you send my way. It keeps me going. Thank you," she concluded.
Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto at the Paris Olympics
At the Paris Olympics, Ponnappa and Crasto failed to register a win in the group stage, suffering three straight defeats. In the first match, they took on South Korea's Kong Hee-yong and Kim So-yeong and went down 21-18, 21-10.
Two days later, they went up against Japan's Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama but once again were humbled, this time 21-11, 21-12. In the last group stage match, which was a 'do or die' clash for Ponnappa and Crasto, they suffered yet another defeat, albeit to Australia's Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu 21-15, 21-10.
In all three matches, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto failed to win a single game and bowed out with three straight, dominating defeats.