"Received 1.5 CR each? From whom?"- Ashwini Ponnappa rubbishes reports of receiving huge financial support ahead of Paris Olympics 2024
Shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa has rubbished news reports that suggest she received huge financial support ahead of the Summer Games. Ponnappa has categorically denied being given ₹1.5 crore, as claimed in certain news articles.
Ashwini, who is coming fresh off an appearance at the Paris Olympics 2024, took to X (Twitter) to post a link to a news article on her account. She went on to term the article as 'lies' and claimed was not part of any organization for funding.
"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 organization or TOPS for funding," wrote Ponnappa.
The article that the shuttler is referring to, stated that Ashwini and her teammate at the Olympics, Tanisha Crasto, received 1.5 crores each. However, according to Ponnappa, she has not received the said amount.
Ashwini Ponnappa also said she was not a part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and did not receive any funding. TOPS is an initiative of the Sports Authority of India to help budding athletes compete in the Olympics.
Ashwini Ponnappa fails to win a single match in women's doubles event at the Paris Olympics 2024
Ashwin Ponnappa and her doubles partner Tanisha Crasto competed in the women's doubles badminton event in Paris. However, the duo had a disappointing campaign that saw them lose all of their group-stage matches.
Ashwini and Tanisha started with a 0-2 loss to South Korean pair, Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong. They suffered yet another 0-2 loss to Japan's Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida.
The two then completed a hattrick of losses after going down 0-2 to Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu of Australia in their last group match. Ashwini Ponnappa was part of a seven-member Indian badminton squad that failed to win any medals at the quadrennial event in Paris.