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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.

Mahayuti meeting put off; Govt formation delayed

Updated: Dec 2, 2024

Shinde heads to his village; Uday Samant says he is unwell not upset

Govt formation delayed
Govt formation delayed

Mumbai: A key Mahayuti meeting scheduled on Friday was put off and likely to take place on Sunday now as outgoing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde headed to his native village, delaying government formation a week after poll results.


The ruling alliance's meeting was expected to be convened in Mumbai on Sunday, said sources in the Shiv Sena, which is headed by Shinde.


Leaders of the BJP, the largest Mahayuti constituent, said they were awaiting arrival of central observers for the legislature party meeting.


The swearing-in of the new government is expected to take place next week, the sources said.


Shinde, speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Thursday night, had said talks with Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on government formation were positive and the next round of discussions will be held in Mumbai on Friday.


However, BJP sources maintained no gathering of Mahayuti leaders was scheduled for Friday.


During his Delhi trip, Shinde had met Shah and discussed formation of the next government in the state. His deputies in the outgoing state cabinet Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) and Ajit Pawar (NCP) had also met the senior BJP leader.


Shinde returned to Mumbai on Friday morning and according to Shiv Sena sources, he left for his native village Dare in Satara district in western Maharashtra in the evening.


Shinde was at the Chief Minister's official residence 'Varsha' in South Mumbai where he met a stream of visitors, including party leaders and MLAs.

The Shiv Sena leader has repeatedly said he would not be an obstacle in the government formation and abide by the decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah on the next chief minister.


Different viewpoints are emerging in the Shiv Sena over Shinde's place in the next government after the BJP-led Mahayuti posted a thumping win in the just-held assembly polls.


Many leaders in the Shiv Sena are asking Shinde to accept deputy CM's post if offered by the BJP. However, another section feels it wouldn't be right for him to accept No. 2 position after serving as CM for more than two-and-a-half years, the sources said.


BJP MLAs haven't got any intimation about a legislature party meeting, where they will elect their leader.


Fadnavis also returned to Mumbai on Friday after meeting Shah in Delhi over government formation.


State BJP leaders held informal discussions and sources said the state unit was awaiting arrival of central observers.


Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar had also met BJP president J P Nadda and Shah on late Thursday to thrash out a power-sharing pact for the next government in Maharashtra.


In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat said if Shinde doesn't accept the deputy CM's post in the new government, then it will be given to someone from their party.


Talking to reporters, Shirsat said Shinde will certainly not go to the Centre as a Union minister.


"If Shinde does not accept the deputy CM's post, then some other leader from our party will get it. He (Shinde) will take a call on this by evening,” said Shirsat, who retained his Aurangabad assembly West seat.


Shirsat's party colleague Shamburaj Desai said their MLA-elects and party workers strongly feel that Shinde should be a part of the new government.

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said he hoped that if Fadnavis returns as chief minister, he will erase the tag of doing "politics of revenge" he had been associated with.


"He will have a free hand (as CM) as crutches will be dependent on him and not vice-versa. I hope (as CM) he works for Vidarbha as he is son of the soil (Fadnavis is an MLA from Nagpur)," he said.


"Politics is an ideological fight and not a personal battle," the Congress leader asserted.

-With PTI

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