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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.

Lightning, hail kill 61 in Bihar; CM Nitish Kumar announces ₹4 Lakh compensation



PATNA: In the last 48 hours, at least 61 people have lost their lives due to lightning strikes and hailstorms across several districts in Bihar. Nalanda district recorded the highest number of casualties, with 22 deaths reported on Thursday alone.


Other districts also reported fatalities: Patna, Bhojpur, Siwan, and Gaya each recorded four deaths; Gopalganj and Jamui reported three each; Muzaffarpur, Jehanabad, Saran, and Arwal each saw two deaths; and Begusarai, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Katihar, Munger, Madhepura, Araria, and Bhagalpur each reported one death.


Nalanda District Magistrate Shashank Bhubhankar confirmed that 21 people died due to thunderstorms, and one due to lightning. He added that rescue and relief operations are ongoing in the affected areas. Instructions have been given to hand over the bodies to the families after postmortem procedures.

Efforts are also being made to restore traffic that was disrupted due to fallen trees. Police personnel have been deployed to remove logs and branches from the roads.


In Nagma village, under the Manpur police station limits, six people died on Thursday when a tree fell on a temple. The victims had taken shelter there during the hailstorm, and the collapse of a wall led to their deaths.


Additional fatalities in Nalanda district were reported from Jaitipur in Islampur block, Dekpura in Rahui block, and from Silao and Giriyak blocks. The district administration has issued emergency contact numbers for the public.


Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed sorrow over the tragic loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹4 lakh for the families of the deceased. In a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office, people were advised to stay indoors and go out only when necessary.


On Wednesday, 13 more deaths due to lightning were reported from four districts. Heavy rains and hailstorms have affected at least 25 of Bihar’s 38 districts in the past two days.


Apart from the human toll, the storms have also caused significant damage to houses, livestock, and crops. A senior official from the State Disaster Management Department said district officials have been instructed to assess the damage and provide compensation based on their reports.

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