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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.

Karnataka Congress blames Centre’s intelligence lapse in Kashmir terror attack



BENGALURU: Following the recent terror attack in Kashmir, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday urged leaders to avoid politicizing the tragedy. However, senior Congress figures in Karnataka, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Home Minister G Parameshwara, and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge, pointed to intelligence lapses by central agencies as a cause of concern.


Home Minister Parameshwara said the intelligence failure should be taken seriously by the Centre. “India has a strong military intelligence system that has performed well in the past. So how did this happen now? How did terrorists infiltrate the area? These are serious questions,” he said. He also highlighted that the attackers targeted Hindus, which he called deeply concerning. He urged the Centre to take swift action against the group that has claimed responsibility.


Parameshwara also suggested the need to investigate whether insiders, including members of the Army, could have assisted the attackers. “Was the military presence reduced because there was a period of calm? I’m not blaming the BJP or the government, but in moments like these, politics should be put aside,” he said.


Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the attack and acknowledged the failure of intelligence. “This incident should not have happened. There was a clear lapse in intelligence,” he stated.


Priyank Kharge took a sharper tone, criticizing Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “When the so-called Chanakya of Indian politics is more focused on toppling governments, breaking up parties, and interfering in elections, incidents like this are bound to happen,” he remarked.


He further said that if Amit Shah had shown the same urgency in tackling external threats as he does in monitoring opposition leaders or promoting his son Jay Shah’s elevation to ICC president, perhaps China wouldn’t be occupying Indian territory and this tragedy might have been avoided.


“This government will likely downplay the incident, underreport casualties, and try to spark communal tension or blame the Congress again. Does the Prime Minister have the courage to demand Shah’s resignation? Will the RSS limit its aggression only to Vijayadashami speeches and its stance against minorities and Dalits? Do they have the guts to hold the PM accountable?” Priyank questioned.

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