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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.

Mumbai-Goa highway to be completed by June: Nitin Gadkari

  • PTI
  • Apr 15, 2025
  • 2 min read


Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said the long-delayed Mumbai-Goa highway will be completed by June this year, which is expected to bring relief to daily commuters and Konkan-bound travellers who have endured years of pothole-ridden roads.


Speaking at an event here on Monday, the road transport and highways minister also reiterated that physical toll booths would be removed across the country soon and the Centre will come up with a new toll policy.


Expressing confidence in the country's infrastructural future, Gadkari also said, "In the next two years, India's road infrastructure will be better than that of the United States."


The national highway between Mumbai and Goa is expected to cut the travel time between these places and give a huge boost to development in the Konkan region.


Gadkari acknowledged the many challenges faced in completing the highway.

"There were numerous difficulties with the Mumbai-Goa highway. But do not worry, we will complete the road 100 per cent by this June," he said.


Gadkari cited legal disputes and internal conflicts over land acquisition as major reasons for the delay.


"There were fights among brothers, cases in courts, and endless complications in providing compensation for land. But those issues have now been resolved, and the work on the Mumbai-Goa highway has gained momentum," he said.


Highlighting broader concerns with infrastructure development, he said, "Delhi-Jaipur and Mumbai-Goa (highways) are among the black spots in our department. They come with many difficulties. If I were to speak the truth about Konkan, people would not accept it."


Gadkari also reiterated that physical toll booths would be removed across the country soon.


"The central government will soon introduce a new toll policy. I will not speak much about it now, but within the next 15 days, a new policy will be announced. Once implemented, there will be no reason for anyone to complain about tolls," he said.


The new system would involve automatic deductions from bank accounts using satellite tracking and vehicle number plate recognition, eliminating the need for manual toll collection, he said.


The minister was speaking at Vasant Vyakhyanmala organised by Amar Hind Mandal, a social organisation, in Dadar area here.

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