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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 Steady Hand at the Supreme Court’s Helm

Updated: Nov 18, 2024

Sanjiv Khanna

With a judicial career spanning decades and a reputation for pragmatism and independence, Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s ascent to the top job comes at a time when the Indian judiciary is grappling with questions of institutional autonomy, case backlog and the balance of power between the executive and the judiciary.


A scion of a distinguished legal family, Khanna’s legacy is shaped in part by the activism of his late uncle, Justice H.R. Khanna, a towering figure in Indian legal history. H.R. Khanna’s courageous dissent in the infamous ADM Jabalpur case during the Emergency, which upheld the right to life even in the face of arbitrary government action, left an indelible mark on India’s judicial landscape. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, born in 1960, has charted his own course, marked by both continuity and reform.


Khanna’s judicial journey began in the Delhi High Court, where he was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2019. In his short tenure on the apex court, he has already presided over several landmark rulings. Notably, he was part of the bench that struck down the controversial electoral bonds scheme, a key plank of the ruling government’s electoral strategy, on the grounds that it threatened transparency in political funding. He also upheld the government’s decision to abrogate Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, a contentious move that was deeply polarizing but affirmed the court’s deference to the political branches in matters of national integrity.


Khanna’s jurisprudence is marked by a steady, no-nonsense approach to constitutional interpretation. He has repeatedly defended the robustness of the Indian electoral system, most recently by affirming the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) against allegations of tampering, while also pushing back against calls to return to paper ballots. His balanced approach to such high-stakes issues has earned him respect across ideological divides.


As Chief Justice, Khanna inherits an institution under considerable pressure. The Supreme Court, which has long been a crucial check on executive power, now faces heightened scrutiny for its role in contentious matters such as electoral integrity and economic reforms. Khanna has already signalled a commitment to greater transparency and efficiency within the court.


Acknowledging the growing demand for urgent hearings, he has called for the curbing of ‘oral mentioning’ - a practice where lawyers bypass formal filing procedures to seek expedited hearings. The system, often abused, has led to long delays and frustrations, with cases sometimes stretching late into the day. Khanna’s attempt to regularize this practice is an early sign of his intent to reform administrative practices without undermining the fundamental principle of judicial independence.


Khanna’s vision for the judiciary is anchored in accessibility and efficiency. In his first remarks as Chief Justice, he emphasized the importance of equal treatment and fair access to justice for all, irrespective of wealth or status. Khanna has made it clear that one of his key priorities will be to ensure that the judicial process is less burdensome and more responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens. His advocacy for mediation and efforts to streamline criminal case management reflect this citizen-centric approach.


Furthermore, Khanna’s tenure as Chief Justice will coincide with key vacancies in the Supreme Court, raising questions about his approach to judicial appointments. The Khanna Collegium, which he now heads, will play a decisive role in selecting new judges.


Khanna’s tenure also promises to be marked by a continued focus on constitutional jurisprudence. As the court grapples with critical issues like the use of the Money Bill route to pass contentious laws such as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), many will look to Khanna’s leadership in handling such cases. His pragmatism, combined with his deep understanding of constitutional principles, suggests that he may take a measured approach to these thorny issues, always mindful of the need to protect both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution.


As he embarks on his term, which runs until May 2025, much will depend on how effectively he can navigate the tensions between the different branches of government, while ensuring that the Supreme Court remains the ultimate guardian of the country’s constitutional democracy.

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