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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Applause for Cricket, Silence for Badminton

Mumbai: When Lakshya Sen walked off the court after the final of the All England Badminton Championships, he carried with him the disappointment of another near miss. The Indian shuttler went down in straight games to Lin Chun-Yi, who created history by becoming the first player from Chinese Taipei to lift the prestigious title. But the story of Lakshya Sen’s defeat is not merely about badminton final. It is also about the contrasting way India celebrates its sporting heroes. Had the same...

Applause for Cricket, Silence for Badminton

Mumbai: When Lakshya Sen walked off the court after the final of the All England Badminton Championships, he carried with him the disappointment of another near miss. The Indian shuttler went down in straight games to Lin Chun-Yi, who created history by becoming the first player from Chinese Taipei to lift the prestigious title. But the story of Lakshya Sen’s defeat is not merely about badminton final. It is also about the contrasting way India celebrates its sporting heroes. Had the same narrative unfolded on a cricket field, the reaction would have been dramatically different. In cricket, even defeat often becomes a story of heroism. A hard-fought loss by the Indian team can dominate television debates, fill newspaper columns and trend across social media for days. A player who narrowly misses a milestone is still hailed for his fighting spirit. The nation rallies around its cricketers not only in victory but also in defeat. The narrative quickly shifts from the result to the effort -- the resilience shown, the fight put up, the promise of future triumph. This emotional investment is one of the reasons cricket enjoys unparalleled popularity in India. It has built a culture where players become household names and their performances, good or bad, become part of the national conversation. Badminton Fights Contrast that with what happens in sports like badminton. Reaching the final of the All England Championships is a monumental achievement. The tournament is widely considered badminton’s equivalent of Wimbledon in prestige and tradition. Only the very best players manage to reach its final stages, and doing it twice speaks volumes about Lakshya Sen’s ability and consistency. Yet the reaction in India remained largely subdued. There were congratulatory posts, some headlines acknowledging the effort and brief discussions among badminton enthusiasts. But the level of national engagement never quite matched the magnitude of the achievement. In a cricketing context, reaching such a stage would have triggered days of celebration and analysis. In badminton, it often becomes just another sports update. Long Wait India’s wait for an All England champion continues. The last Indian to win the title was Pullela Gopichand in 2001. Before him, Prakash Padukone had scripted history in 1980. These victories remain among the most significant milestones in Indian badminton. And yet, unlike cricketing triumphs that are frequently revisited and celebrated, such achievements rarely stay in the mainstream sporting conversation for long. Lakshya Sen’s journey to the final should ideally have been viewed as a continuation of that legacy, a reminder that India still possesses the talent to challenge the world’s best in badminton. Instead, it risks fading quickly from public memory. Visibility Gap The difference ultimately comes down to visibility and cultural investment. Cricket in India is not merely a sport; it is an ecosystem built over decades through media attention, sponsorship, and mass emotional attachment. Individual sports, on the other hand, often rely on momentary bursts of recognition, usually during Olympic years or when a medal is won. But consistent performers like Lakshya Sen rarely receive the sustained spotlight that their achievements deserve. This disparity can also influence the next generation. Young athletes are naturally drawn to sports where success brings recognition, financial stability and national fame. When one sport monopolises the spotlight, others struggle to build similar appeal. Beyond Result Lakshya Sen may have finished runner-up again, but his performance at the All England Championship is a reminder that India continues to produce world-class athletes in disciplines beyond cricket. The real issue is not that cricket receives immense attention -- it deserves the admiration it gets. The concern is that athletes from other sports often do not receive comparable appreciation for achievements that are equally significant in their own arenas. If India aspires to become a truly global sporting nation, its applause must grow broader. Sporting pride cannot remain confined to one field. Because somewhere on a badminton court, an athlete like Lakshya Sen is fighting just as hard for the country’s colours as any cricketer on a packed stadium pitch. The only difference is how loudly the nation chooses to cheer.

A Border in Flames

Updated: Jan 29, 2025

Despite years of counterinsurgency efforts, the endless struggle against ISWAP in northeastern Nigeria has ensured the country remains a war zone with soldiers and civilians alike caught in the crossfire.

Nigeria

Fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) recently attacked a Nigerian Army base in Malam-Fatori, a border town in Borno State, killing more than 20 soldiers, including a commanding officer, and wounding several others after a three-hour gun battle. The town, already a tenuous link between Nigeria and its northern neighbour, has once again become a symbol of the Nigerian military’s precarious position in the battle against insurgency.


This tragic episode is but one chapter in a protracted and brutal conflict that has gripped northeastern Nigeria for over a decade. The region has become a cauldron of violence, where groups like ISWAP and Boko Haram operate with near impunity, targeting soldiers and civilians alike. Since Boko Haram’s emergence in 2009, the insurgency has morphed into a hydra-headed monster. The splintering of the group into factions, most notably ISWAP, has intensified the bloodshed. Together, these groups have killed and displaced tens of thousands, transforming Borno into a theater of horror.


Historically, Borno’s troubles are rooted in more than the rise of extremist ideologies. This region has long been one of Nigeria’s most economically and politically marginalized. Decades of underdevelopment, weak state institutions, and endemic corruption created a fertile ground for discontent. When Boko Haram first appeared under the leadership of Mohammed Yusuf, it gained traction by exploiting grievances over poverty, unemployment, and poor governance. What began as a movement ostensibly advocating for Islamic governance quickly devolved into an insurgency marked by atrocities: mass abductions, bombings, and targeted killings.


The Nigerian government’s response to this crisis has been both forceful and faltering. Former President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno and neighbouring states in 2013, launching a military offensive against Boko Haram. While the group suffered initial losses, it regrouped and intensified its attacks. By 2015, Boko Haram had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, leading to the creation of ISWAP. Unlike its predecessor, ISWAP has adopted a more sophisticated and pragmatic approach, focusing its attacks on military and government targets while presenting itself as a provider of services in areas under its control. This shift has made it an even deadlier adversary.


Under President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military general elected in 2015 partly on his promise to crush the insurgency, there have been some gains. The Nigerian military, backed by regional forces and international partners, has reclaimed territory once held by Boko Haram and ISWAP. Yet, the insurgency has proven resilient. The recent attack in Malam-Fatori underscores the challenges that remain. ISWAP’s ability to mount a coordinated assault on a military base demonstrates not only its tactical capabilities but also the weaknesses in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency strategy.


At the heart of the problem is a lack of trust between the military and local communities. Reports of human rights abuses by security forces, ranging from extrajudicial killings to forced disappearances, have alienated the very people whose cooperation is essential for effective counterinsurgency. Moreover, corruption within the military has siphoned resources away from the frontlines, leaving soldiers ill-equipped and demoralized.


The international community has lent its support, but its involvement has been limited. While the United States and other nations have provided military aid and training, the broader geopolitical focus has often shifted away from Nigeria’s crisis. As global attention gravitates toward flashpoints like Ukraine and the Middle East, northeastern Nigeria risks becoming a forgotten conflict.


The implications of this neglect are dire. The insurgency in Borno is not an isolated issue but part of a broader instability across the Sahel region. Groups like ISWAP are adept at exploiting porous borders and weak governance to expand their reach. Without sustained local and international efforts to address the root causes of extremism, Nigeria’s northeast will remain trapped in a cycle of violence.

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