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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.

Nishant Kumar: Bihar's reluctant heir steps into the political arena

New Delhi: In Bihar's swirling political cauldron, Nishant Kumar has emerged as the hottest topic. Once a man who shunned not just politics but public life altogether, he has now plunged headlong into the fray. The key to this transformation likely lies in his family dynamics.


His mother, Manju Kumari Sinha, played a pivotal role in shaping his path, while his father, Nitish Kumar, devoted his entire life to serving the public after completing his studies. Having fulfilled his mother's wishes by prioritising education, Nishant is now stepping up to shoulder his father's social and political responsibilities at a crucial juncture. Nitish Kumar has set an extraordinarily high bar for development in Bihar's politics, leaving Nishant with formidable challenges ahead. The question is whether he will convert these hurdles into opportunities and climb the ladder of success, or stumble while trying.


To grasp Nishant's political worldview and motivations, one must delve into his family background. Born on July 20, 1975, in Patna, Nishant entered a world where his father had already joined active politics during the 1974 movement against Indira Gandhi's Emergency under the leadership of Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan. Nitish dedicated his life thereafter to Bihar's development dreams and upliftment of the deprived. In contrast, his mother, Manju Sinha, was a school teacher who passed away in 2007 and never favoured misusing power for personal gain.


Family associates recall that Manju Sinha explicitly discouraged Nishant from stepping into politics. Whenever he showed interest, she urged him that "First study, become a good citizen and self-reliant, then step into social and national service."


Early Life

Under her guidance, Nishant began his schooling at Patna's St. Karen's School, followed by studies at Mussoorie's Manav Bharti India International School. He also attended Patna's Kendriya Vidyalaya briefly. After school, he earned a software engineering degree from Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra in Ranchi, Jharkhand, mirroring his father's engineering background. Notably, for his first two years at BIT, classmates had no idea he was Nitish Kumar's son. In an interview, his classmate and Islampur (Bihar) MLA Ruhail Ranjan (son of Rajiv Ranjan) revealed that "No one knew Nishant was Nitish's son for those initial two years."


Now nearing 50 and unmarried, Nishant leads a spiritual life marked by daily yoga, prayers, and simplicity. Media reports note his reading habits include books on socialism, contemporary Bihar, RSS publications, and the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. He prefers family time or solitude. He shares a deep bond with his father, often hugging him affectionately like a child on special occasions.


Curiously, while working in the private sector, Nishant has amassed more wealth than his father. His total movable and immovable assets stand at 3.61 crore, surpassing Nitish's 1.66 crore. Beyond inheritance from his late mother, this includes ancestral property in Kalyan Bigaha, Nalanda (a family home and farmland), plus real estate in Patna and Bakhtiyarpur.


‘Parivarwaad’

After years of steering clear of politics, Nishant's entry into the Janata Dal (United) drew accusations of dynastic politics from the opposition, like Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Yet, there's no evidence of him chasing power's perks. If that were his aim, he could have joined active politics when Nitish was a union minister or during his 21-year stint as chief minister (in multiple terms). Instead, as Nitish honourably announces his exit from the chief minister's post, Nishant steps in to carry forward his father's public legacy and vision. He has vowed to propel Bihar into the ranks of developed states.


Challenges Ahead

With Nishant now in JD(U) and eyeing the deputy chief minister's role, power brings fresh tests. First, Nitish built his base by consolidating Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs). Nishant must rally them while preventing the erosion of JD(U)'s core voters. Second, Nitish championed women's empowerment, from bicycles for girls to educate them, self-help groups for 'Jeevika Didis', and alcohol prohibition to restore dignity. How will Nishant advance this agenda and turn challenges into gains? Ahead looms the 2030 Bihar Assembly elections, where he must forge an identity, win over party workers, and earn leaders' trust.


Nitish enjoys an image as a clean, trustworthy politician. Can Nishant match this stature and live up to public faith? Comparisons arise with Uddhav Thackeray, who inherited Bal Saheb Thackeray's mantle but veered from ideology, allying with Congress and NCP for power. Will Nishant compromise similarly, or draw an even bolder developmental line for Bihar? Many queries linger, unanswered in the hush of now — only time, the silent sage, shall unveil their truth somehow.

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