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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.

Celebrating the essence of friendship

I belong to an era where friends were family and for life. We exchanged clothes, pencils, pens, compass boxes etc. We would visit each other, sit in Veranda and chat  whole evening. We lived moments and never felt bored, sad, or depressed and lonely. The emotional connection was so deep that we never felt insecure because we knew that at any stage of life we have a true friend to rely on.This year Friendship day is celebrated on August 3rd.


Friends are not just people we talk to or just spend time with. They are the ones who understand our silence, accept us with flaws and stand by us not because they have to but because they want to. They are the ones we lean on when life gets heavy and the ones we laugh with when life feels light. A friend may be someone from school, college, neighbourhood or even someone met randomly or unexpectedly who becomes irreplaceable.


In today's hyper-connected world, we have hundreds or even thousands of friends - online and offline. Friendship has drastically changed over the years where the nature and role of friends has evolved.


Interaction

Then: Time was spent in person.

Now: Links and replies define interactions.


Connectivity

Then : Letters, Visits, Phone Calls etc

Now : Emojis, memes, status updates etc


Bonding

Then : Fewer friends, deeper bonds

Now : More contacts, shallow engagements


Sharing space

Then :  Friendship were formed in shared spaces  like schools, home, gatherings etc

Now : Friendship formed in digital space


Presence

Then :  physical presence in times of need

Now : virtual support often limited.


The shift to virtual friendship has brought both convenience and cost .

 

Less face-to-face to face : This leads to weaker emotional connection.


Busy digital life: This has reduced the quality time spent with friends


FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out): This breeds comparison not connection.


Friendship now is often transactional built around gains, status and influence. As a result, loneliness has crept into our lives despite digitally active. The length of the chord of emotion has shortened thereby widening the distances in friendship.


Reach out to friends for real conversation not just for a contact or connect. Whenever possible meet in person. Nothing can replace a real hug or a shared laugh. Limit screen time bonding. Prioritise calls, visits and quality talks over passive scrolling. Nurture old connections. Rekindle old true friendships which is always fulfilling than gaining new followers. Celebrate birthdays, plan a picnic or even a movie outing, coffee meet etc which will create offline memories .


Digital friends are not inherently bad as they too can offer connections and even evolve into meaningful bonds. But nothing can replace the power of a true friend who walks with you in every season of life.


In the age of virtual proximity, let us not forget the beauty of genuine connection because in the end it's not the number of friends we have, but the depth of a few who truly shape our lives.


As a quote says "A true friend is someone who walks in when rest of the world walks out".


So, this friendship day let's not just celebrate it but let's live it, honor it and nurture it because friends are not just part of life, they are the heart of it.


Friendship is not about big gesture-- it's about being there. Celebrate it by being committed, unbiased, present, true and loving.


"Happy friendship day to all of you"


(The writer is a tutor based in Thane.)

 

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