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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.

Legacy vs Incumbency

As the Maharashtra elections draw ever closer, the clash between political legacy and incumbency will redefine the political landscape in Nashik district’s Malegaon Outer Assembly segment.


The political arena in Malegaon Outer pits the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT)’s (oppsoiton MVA’s) candidate Advay Hiray against veteran cabinet minister Dada Bhuse from the ruling Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, seeking re-election for a fifth straight term.


The stakes are high as both candidates carry the weight of their respective legacies into a constituency that has witnessed significant political shifts over the years.


Dada Bhuse, a stalwart of the Shiv Sena and a fixture in Maharashtra politics since 2004, has navigated his share of controversies, including serious allegations stemming from the 2001 Malegaon riots. Despite a chequered past, Bhuse has maintained a stronghold over the Malegaon Outer Assembly seat, touting his record of development projects that have transformed the constituency. His tenure has seen the completion of key infrastructure projects. That said, he will be fighting against the headwinds of anti-incumbency sentiments.


Enter Advay Hiray, scion of a prominent political family with deep roots in Maharashtra. The Hiray clan, once synonymous with grassroots politics in the region, has struggled to maintain its relevance over the past few decades.


Advay is the great-grandson of the late Bhausaheb Hiray, a distinguished Congress leader from North Maharashtra who served as a minister in successive cabinets. The Hiray family has a storied political legacy, with other notable members, such as Pushpatai Hiray and Adya’s father - Prashant Hiray, also having held elected office and ministerial roles across various administrations.

Once, Malegaon stood as a bastion of Hiray influence; however, this stronghold was gradually usurped by Bhuse, who supplanted the Hiray clan, who, by this time had fragmented owing to internecine political rivalries.


Advay’s switch to Shiv Sena (UBT) from the BJP in January 2023 was strategic and came at a time when Uddhav Thackeray was trying to rebuild his splintered party in north Maharashtra. Advay himself has faced serious legal troubles, including an arrest related to a cooperative bank fraud.

And yet, he is now positioning himself as the candidate of change against Bhuse’s established regime.

Malegaon Outer, a mix of urban and rural demographics, faces pressing challenges that extend beyond individual candidates. The area is grappling with economic struggles, particularly among onion farmers who have been hit hard by recent export bans, and ongoing demands for improved infrastructure and local governance.


Complicating the contest in Malegaon Outer is the emergence of Bandu Bachhav, a young leader who, after being passed over for a Sena (UBT) ticket, is running as an independent. With a robust local network, Bachhav is poised to siphon votes from both Bhuse and Hiray, potentially tipping the scales in this tightly contested seat.


As the election date draws near, the race in Malegaon Outer is not just about two candidates but a reflection of broader political currents in Maharashtra. Will Advay Hiray’s legacy help reclaim the Hiray family’s lost prominence, or will Bhuse’s experience and established network hold strong against the winds of change?

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