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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 Shattered Peace

Updated: Mar 7, 2025

South Sudan

South Sudan’s uneasy peace is once again under threat. The recent arrests of key opposition figures, including Oil Minister Puot Kang Chol and Deputy Army Chief General Gabriel Duop Lam, have sent tremors through the world’s youngest nation, reigniting fears that the country could slide back into civil war. Both men are senior members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), the faction led by Vice-President Riek Machar, whose bitter rivalry with President Salva Kiir has been the defining fault line of South Sudanese politics.


These arrests follow a surge in violence in the northern Upper Nile state, where the White Army militia loyal to Machar reportedly seized a strategic town near the Ethiopian border. The government, led by President Kiir’s loyalists, has accused Machar’s allies of backing the rebels. The situation escalated further when South Sudanese troops surrounded Machar’s residence in Juba, while several of his senior military officials were placed under house arrest. The government has provided no official explanation, but opposition voices have condemned the detentions as a violation of the 2018 peace agreement that ended the brutal five-year civil war.


The detentions and rising tensions have raised alarms within the international community. The United Nations and the African Union have warned that the violence could spill over, while peace advocates within South Sudan fear that the country is on the precipice of another deadly conflict. With elections repeatedly postponed (now scheduled for 2026) South Sudan may once again descend into chaos if the peace deal unravels.


After decades of conflict, the country gained independence from Sudan in 2011, becoming the world’s newest sovereign state. Yet the euphoria of nationhood was short-lived. By 2013, a political power struggle between Kiir, a Dinka, and Machar, a Nuer, erupted into full-scale civil war. The fighting, largely along ethnic lines, resulted in the deaths of more than 400,000 people and the displacement of millions.


A peace agreement brokered in 2018 sought to put an end to the bloodshed, with Kiir and Machar reluctantly agreeing to form a unity government. The deal, however, has been fragile from the start. Key provisions, including the integration of opposition forces into the national army and the establishment of transitional governance structures, have faced chronic delays.


Machar’s camp has condemned the detentions as a direct attack on the peace accord. While the government has sought to downplay fears of renewed war, history suggests otherwise. The last time tensions between Kiir and Machar escalated in 2016, Juba became a battleground. The power-sharing arrangement collapsed, and Machar was forced to flee the country.


One of the gravest concerns is the role of the White Army, the militia group that has historically fought alongside Machar. Its recent resurgence in Upper Nile state and the capture of strategic territory have fueled speculation that the opposition leader still holds considerable military leverage. If Machar’s forces continue to clash with government troops, the ceasefire could collapse entirely.


The broader geopolitical context also complicates matters. South Sudan remains heavily reliant on oil revenues, but instability has deterred foreign investment. China, which has significant oil interests in the country, has expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation.


South Sudan’s repeated delays in holding elections have only deepened its crisis. Originally planned for 2023, the vote has now been postponed to 2026 due to logistical and financial constraints. The absence of a legitimate electoral process has enabled Kiir and Machar to maintain their uneasy cohabitation which is fast becoming untenable.


The next few weeks will determine whether South Sudan steps back from the abyss or slides into yet another war. For too long, South Sudan has been trapped in a cycle of violence, fragile truces and failed political arrangements. The arrests of opposition leaders mark a dangerous moment of brinkmanship. If South Sudan is to avoid another tragic chapter in its history, its leaders must recognize that peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice, stability and political inclusivity.

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