Indian sporting legend Prakash Padukone will be part of the country’s Badminton contingent for the Paris Olympics 2024. Emerging as one of India’s medal favourites, the shuttles will enter the French capital with a lot of expectations based on recent form and past results. The Badminton event kicks off on July 26 and Padukone and Co. will be key in priming the squad ahead of the campaign.
Padukone was named the mentor for Indian shuttler P.V. Sindhu in November 2023 as the two-time Olympic medalist started preparation for the 2024 summer games. Hence the former world No. 1 will join seven other coaches and physios with the Indian contingent.
Padukone to be Indian contingent’s mentor for Paris 2024
The development was reported by PTI who quoted a source stating, “There are seven players and eight support staff, including the coaches and physios. Pullela Gopichand, RMV Gurusaidutt, Agus Santosa, Vimal Kumar, and Mathias Boe will be the coaches travelling to Paris, while Prakash Padukone will go as a mentor. Zeinia Samar and Kiran Challagundla will be the two physiotherapists in the team.”
Gopichand has been India’s national chief coach, Gurusaidutt is working with HS Prannoy while Boe has been coaching the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and the women’s doubles duo of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto. Former India coach Vimal Kumar is currently training Lakshya, while Agus has been training Sindhu in Bengaluru.
India’s badminton squad for Paris Olympics 2024
PV Sindhu (women’s singles), HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen (men’s singles), Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (men’s doubles) and Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa (women’s doubles).