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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.

Breaking the Bloc

Updated: Jan 31, 2025

The withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso marks a turning point for both the future of ECOWAS and the region’s security landscape.

ECOWAS

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), founded in 1975 to foster economic and political integration across West Africa, is witnessing a major crack after three of its most embattled members - Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger - officially withdrew from the regional bloc, marking the culmination of over a year of escalating tensions and diplomatic impasses. This split, following a series of military coups in these countries, signifies a new chapter in the political dynamics of West Africa that could reverberate across the region and beyond.


In 2020, Mali was the first to fall under junta rule, followed by Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023. Each of these countries experienced a military coup that ousted democratically elected leaders, prompting a swift and forceful response from ECOWAS, which has long advocated for democratic governance in the region. In reaction, the bloc imposed sanctions, including border closures, a no-fly zone, and the freezing of central bank assets, measures that hit the fragile economies of these countries hard.


However, the ECOWAS’ measures only seemed to strengthen the resolve of the juntas. The military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger condemned what they saw as ECOWAS’ close ties to Western powers, which they accused of pursuing foreign interests in the region. In response, the three countries formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a new bloc designed to assert their sovereignty, reject external interference, and promote a more independent regional agenda.


In December last year, ECOWAS offered a six-month grace period for the countries to reconsider their departure, but the junta governments were resolute. The creation of the AES was a pivotal shift in West African geopolitics. The new bloc, spearheaded by Mali’s military ruler Assimi Goïta, aims to foster stronger regional cooperation, not only in political and economic spheres but also in security. To counter the growing jihadist threat, which has devastated much of the Sahel, AES countries have vowed to establish a 5,000-strong military force. This move reflects a desire for greater autonomy in managing security challenges, with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger already receiving increasing support from Russia, including weapons and mercenaries, despite the ongoing instability.


While the AES offers these countries an alternative to ECOWAS, the long-term viability of this new alliance remains uncertain. All three countries are impoverished, landlocked, and highly dependent on their neighbours for trade and economic ties. In the short term, the withdrawal from ECOWAS might grant the juntas greater autonomy, but the three nations may soon face increased isolation and a deepening economic crisis. The impact of severing ties with a regional economic bloc that facilitates the free movement of people and goods cannot be understated, particularly for countries whose economic survival is heavily reliant on cross-border trade.


For ECOWAS, the departure of three member states is a profound blow. The bloc, which at its peak represented over 400 million people, now loses 76 million citizens and a vast expanse of territory. The loss of these countries, all of which are among the poorest in the region, challenges ECOWAS’s credibility and ability to enforce its will. The bloc’s repeated failures to prevent the coups and uphold democratic governance have exacerbated a legitimacy crisis that was already simmering beneath the surface.


Moreover, ECOWAS’s capacity to address regional security challenges is now under greater scrutiny. The Sahel, an arid region south of the Sahara, has become a global hotspot for jihadist violence. The insurgencies in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have inflicted devastating casualties, and the withdrawal of these countries from ECOWAS could exacerbate an already fragile security situation. The threat of jihadist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS has only intensified in recent years, and the departure of these countries from a cooperative security framework could hinder efforts to combat extremism effectively.

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