Prakash Padukone on Players' Consistency as India's Asian Games Results Raise Concerns

When asked whether he missed coaching at the top level, Prakash Padukone smiled, having pioneered Indian badminton for over thirty years. Padukone said he doesn't miss coaching at the top level; he believes he's done enough and is content with the change. Nowadays, he feels more at ease and enjoys training other coaches and helping the sport develop from the grassroots.

Indian badminton is currently going through a difficult time. At the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the team won only one medal, down from the three they won at the Hangzhou Games. The only medal obtained was the men's team bronze, with no gold medals or individual victories.

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Prakash Padukone on Players' Consistency: Veteran Badminton Player Expressed Disappointment, Expected Better Outcome

In a Mumbai media interview, Padukone expressed his disappointment, saying India had done better on previous occasions and that, given the talent on hand, he had expected better results.

He believed the team should have won at least as many medals as the previous time. Moreover, Padukone has entered into an MoU between his badminton school and the International Institute of Sports Management (IISM) to set up nationally recognised coaching programmes.

Padukone Takes on India Badminton Performance at Asian Games 2026

Prakash Padukone on Players' Consistency: Padukone pointed out that not only were medal counts lower, but some top players also withdrew early; for instance, Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Lakshya Sen were defeated in the early rounds.

Lakshya reached his second All England final in March, making him only the second Indian man to do so twice after Padukone and the pair had won the China Masters before the Asian Games.

Since India's 1980 All England victory, Padukone has said playing year-round makes it hard to always give your best. Yet he wants players to be more consistent and believes they have enough support and just need to put in a bit more effort.

Prakash Padukone Statement: Veteran Shuttler Says Indian Players Must At Least Make Efforts To Reach Semi-Finals

Prakash Padukone on Players' Consistency: Padukone expects athletes to reach the semifinals, even if they can't win every tournament. He said players need not have to prove victory in one tournament and then face crushing defeat in the next.

Padukone, whose academy has trained players such as Lakshya and Ayush Shetty and who worked closely with Lakshya and PV Sindhu before and during the 2024 Paris Olympics, cannot say exactly why these ups and downs happen.

Nevertheless, as he said at the Paris Games, he stressed again that players need to be more consistent; however, he also mentioned that he is not currently engaged in elite coaching.

He is unsure whether players are taking part in too many tournaments and therefore need to reduce the number but he is confused by their low rankings. He pointed out that many factors are at play, so it is difficult to say exactly what the problem is. Yet he is confident that players can become more consistent.

Padukone Comments on PV Sindhu Match at Asian Games 2026

According to Padukone, Sindhu has recently set a strong example. The 31-year-old woman, who has won several Olympic and World Championship medals, won her first title in over two years at the Japan Open in July. At the Asian Games, she reached the quarter-finals before losing to Chen Yufei. Padukone, now 71, thinks Sindhu is a living inspiration for young Indian players, and they can learn a lot from her.

He also said that although PV Sindhu has won many medals, she still wants to achieve more. He believes that others, particularly Lakshya and perhaps the doubles pairs, should have the same determination. They must not be content with their recent accomplishments; they should instead aim to win big tournaments to keep their momentum.

Prakash Padukone on PV Sindhu

Prakash Padukone on Players' Consistency: Padukone also said that since Sindhu is 31 and has won many medals, she could be content with her achievements, but she continues to work on improving herself and he thinks she will set a strong example for others.

He mentioned that promising young players are emerging for example Shetty in men's singles and Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma, and "many others" in women's singles. Yet he does not believe doubles has the same depth beyond the top pairs.

Singles Will Remain India's Main Strength: Padukone

Prakash Padukone on Players' Consistency: Padukone also thinks singles will remain India's main strength in badminton. He expects newer players in both women's and men's singles to be better and faster, and he believes the sport could become more competitive.

Since badminton will adopt the shorter, faster 15-point scoring system next year, Padukone predicted it will be even harder for players to maintain consistency, not only in India but worldwide.

Padukone said he isn't sure whether Indian players are performing poorly because they have played in so many tournaments or because they are suffering from fitness problems; he added that we shall have to wait and see. He also said Indian badminton players need to change their style of play.

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