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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.

Maratha-OBC quota clash to resonate in Bhujbal’s Yevla seat

Maratha-OBC quota

Mumbai: The Maratha-OBC quota issue and trends in onion prices are among the campaign themes likely to impact the poll outcome in Maharashtra’s Yevla assembly constituency from where NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal is seeking a re-election.


Located in Nashik district, Yevla is home to one of the biggest onion wholesale markets in the country.

NCP heavyweight Bhujbal’s aggressive stance against Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has endeared him to the OBC communities, but may put off a section of Marathas in his first electoral battle since the split in the party.


His one time aide and now rival NCP (SP) candidate Manikrao Shinde, who belongs to the Maratha community, claimed voters in the constituency support his party head Sharad Pawar and this would go in his favour.


However, Bhujbal, who has stridently opposed Jarange’s demand for Maratha quota from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) share, is confident of retaining his seat, unfazed by the defeat of BJP leader Bharati Pawar from Dindori Lok Sabha constituency (which includes Yevla segment) in the general polls earlier this year.


The state assembly elections will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.

The Yevla assembly segment, in north Maharashtra, houses Lasalgaon APMC, one of the biggest onion wholesale markets in the country, vulnerable to the government’s export and import policies regarding the perishable produce.


Also famous for the Paithani sarees, the constituency comprises 3,26,626 voters, including nearly 1.35 lakh Marathas.


Local vegetable vendor Urmila Bankar said the state government has implemented various schemes, such as the Ladki Bahin Yojana which provides her a monthly assistance of Rs 1,500.


“However, I want to make an effort to have an income independently. I understand that government schemes like this are temporary and not sustainable in the long run. I wonder if the sitting MLA could confront the Union government regarding our issues (like inflation),” she said.


Bhujbal (77), who hails from the Mali OBC community, started as a vegetable vendor in Mumbai’s Byculla market.


When Bal Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena in 1966, Bhujbal was among the first to join it, advocating for the rights and pride of the Marathi community.


Once a fierce supporter of the Hindutva ideology, Bhujbal joined the Congress in 1991 when Sharad Pawar was the chief minister. He focused on expanding his influence among the OBCs in the state.

Last year, Bhujbal supported the Ajit Pawar-led faction when it joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government, leading to a split in the NCP founded by Sharad Pawar.


Bhujbal had said his decision was motivated by the concerns for voters, whose needs must be addressed.

His challenger Manikrao Shinde had helped Bhujbal in his win on the Congress ticket in the 2004 assembly elections.


Bhujbal had earlier also been a legislator in 1985 and 1990 from Mumbai’s Mazgaon assembly segment and represented the (then undivided) Shiv Sena.


Expressing confidence of his victory this time, Bhujbal said, “I have won every assembly election from 2004 to 2019, and I am confident I will win this one as well. The work I have done for the local community, including the initiation of several drinking water schemes, will help me win this poll.”


However, a close aide of Bhujbal claimed there is “strong excitement” among the Maratha youth regarding Jarange, as they see him as one of their own.


“While Bhujbal’s opposition to Jarange’s demand for the Maratha quota under the OBC category was technically justified, it has negatively impacted the young voters,” he said.


Shinde said the Yevla voters have been loyal supporters of Sharad Pawar.


“We tolerated Bhujbal because Pawar nominated him in every election. However, Bhujbal engaged in divisive politics.


When Bhujbal went against Pawar’s wishes and joined the government alongside Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar held a rally in Yevla to apologise to the people for posing trust in Bhujbal,” he said.

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