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...

min read

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.

Ashok Chavan: A Rocky Road Ahead

Abhijit Joshi
Oct 20, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

The Congress party has been fortunate in Maharashtra, where political families like the Thorats, Shindes, and Gaikwads have remained loyal over the years. However, after the 2014 Modi wave, a few Congress loyalists such as the Vikhes and Deors gradually drifted towards the BJP or other factions. Despite this, the Chavan family from Nanded, known for their unwavering loyalty to the Gandhi family, stayed with Congress through thick and thin. Ashok Chavan, in particular, was a trusted leader within the party.

But things took a turn when the fear of ED investigations allegedly caused Ashok Chavan to switch sides to the BJP. While everyone knows this chapter of history, the bigger question now is: What lies ahead for Ashok Chavan?

The upcoming state elections will be a true test for Ashok Chavan. His internal and external battles are intensifying, especially with Ravindra Vasantrao Chavan contesting the Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll after his father’s death. The situation became more complicated when Chavan’s brother-in-law, former Nanded MP Bhaskarrao Patil-Khatgaonkar, along with ex-MLA Omprakash Pokarna and Minal

Patil-Khatgaonkar, rejoined Congress after initially following Chavan to the BJP. After his resignation from Congress, Ashok Chavan was expected to bring political acumen and influence to the BJP. But so far, it hasn’t worked out. He couldn’t secure a win for BJP in Nanded, a seat that was once seen as a sure victory for the party. This failure was a major setback, especially when BJP’s leadership was unsure about other victories in the state during the Lok Sabha elections.

Chavan’s second challenge came when he failed to manage the Maratha reservation agitation led by activist Manoj Jarange-Patil. As a Maratha leader, Chavan was expected to mediate and calm the situation, but he was unable to do so, leaving the state BJP leadership dissatisfied.

To make matters worse, Chavan has not made any significant impact within Congress either. In fact, his own brother-in-law, Bhaskarrao Patil-Khatgaonkar, returned to Congress, signaling Chavan’s diminishing influence even among his closest allies.

Chavan’s future in BJP looks uncertain. His daughter, who has been involved in social work, is also eyeing the upcoming state elections. But whether her efforts will translate into political success remains to be seen.

1 Comment

Pramod Sawant

Oct 21, 2024

Perfect analysis.