Deepika Padukone says incidents like spot-fixing give sport a bad name

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, daughter of badminton icon Prakash Padukone, says sports was pure and clean during her father’s time. She rues how malpractices such as spot-fixing can give any sport a bad name.

Deepika Padukone said sports was pure and clean during her father’s [Prakash Padukone’s] time © Getty Images

Mumbai: May 22, 2013

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, daughter of badminton icon Prakash Padukone, says sports was pure and clean during her father’s time. She rues how malpractices such as spot-fixing can give any sport a bad name.

Following news of actor Vindoo Dara Singh’s association in the recent spot-fixing scandal of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Deepika says it is sad how because of a few people, several others come in the ambit of doubt.

“It gives a bad name to the sport. It is unfair just because of a few people following this malpractice, you start doubting everybody else. As a country if you want to shine or if you want to be on the same level economically or otherwise [with others], I think it’s important that sports people in our country do really well and this [spot-fixing] is not really helping that,” Deepika told reporters at an event.

“It’s sad. I have grown up in a generation where I have seen my father [play], and sport at that time was so pure and clean. So, to see it go down this route is very disappointing,” she added.

Calling the spot-fixing scandal “shameful”, Deepika’s “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” co-star Ranbir Kapoor said: “IPL has become such a great entertaining platform for the world right now and when such things crop up – like people playing dirty, it’s unfortunate.”

“There is no justification to it and I hope people who are concerned in this mischief should be punished. It is not fair to the people who are playing the sport with the right intention,” he added.

Catch live updates of IPL 2013 spot-fixing controversy here