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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.

Monsoon session underlines CM’ firm focus on Hindutva By Abhijit Mulye

Mumbai: Just concluded monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has underlined yet again that apart from good governance and development, implementation of the Hindutva agenda will be the focus during this second inning of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.


Maharashtra’s timeless pilgrimage of faith, devotion and unity – the Pandharpur Wari was just round the corner when the monsoon session began on June 30. The state government under Fadnavis between 2014 and 2019 had taken initiatives like Nirmal Wari to ensure cleanliness. This time the government took the care for devotees to the next level. Apart from making elaborate arrangements to take care of the health of devotees who walk around 250 km over a span of 20 days, the state government brought in insurance scheme for the devotees and also announced decisions on ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to next to kin in case of loss of life during the Wari.


All these measures, that can be seen as part of good governance, led to record-break attendance of devotees at Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi, when the CM performs Pooja at the Vitthal temple there. CM Fadnavis said that the state government contemplates developing amenities in the town on the lines of preparations for Kumbha, to be able to handle the large number of devotees. Intrusion of leftist forces in Wari and Wari’s comparison to Namaz on roads by SP MLA Abu Azmi led to some controversies, but Fadnavis firmly delivered the message that the government believes in Hindutva which unites all factions of the society.


The next controversy Fadnavis had to handle during the session was over the Wardha to Sindhudurg Shaktipeeth Mahamarg that connect 12 prominent pilgrimage places in the state. This brilliant blend of development and religious sentiments has disturbed many a people including some of the members of Fadnavis cabinet. However, the CM has been firmly defending the project in the legislature as well as on the field. In response to those who are opposing the project many farmers who are in favour of the project gathered in Kolhapur recently, reaffirming Fadnavis’ resolve to initiate work on the project as soon as possible.Fadnavis government has changed names of 4 prominent cities in the state in past 6 months. In the session, name of Sangli town Islampur was changed to Ishwarpur as per the wishes of the majority of people residing there. Fadnavis made it clear that his government looks at such decisions from the point of view of doing away with the cultural encroachment by the foreign rulers.


But, more than any of these actions, if any one feat is to be singled out for underlining the Fadnavis government’s resolve to follow the Hindutva agenda, it was his statement that the benefits of reservation in the state would be available only to those belonging to the Hindu fold or religions that are closely aligned with Hinduism, such as Sikhism and Buddhism. He made it clear that those who have converted to other religions, particularly Abrahamic faiths like Christianity and Islam, will no longer be eligible to avail of caste-based reservation in government jobs, meant originally for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).Not only did Fadnavis draw a clear constitutional and civilisational boundary, but he also warned of strict legal action against individuals who were availing reservation benefits despite having converted to other religions. This move is being hailed as a crucial step in protecting the true spirit and purpose of the reservation, as well as preserving the cultural and social integrity of the Hindu society.


The firm resolve of the state government in pursuing measures like these and the helplessness of the opposition in the legislature as well as on the road has also made it clear that the state government is likely to be seen pursuing Hindutva agenda with more vigour in the times to come.

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