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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.

Oil crisis: India's resilience on edge

Workers load LPG cylinders in a truck, in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka on Tuesday. | Pic: PTI
Workers load LPG cylinders in a truck, in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka on Tuesday. | Pic: PTI

New Delhi: The Israel–US–Iran war's oil shock, with prices at $116/barrel, Hormuz blockade, and recession fears, threatens global depression per Wood Mackenzie and IMF warnings. India buffers via 8-week reserves, Russian imports, and steady fuel prices, prioritising diplomacy and "Nation First" amid opposition clamour and geopolitical shadows from China–Russia manoeuvres.


The escalating Israel–US–Iran conflict has triggered a global oil crisis that now threatens to plunge the world into recessionary depths. On the tenth day of the war, the International Monetary Fund has urged policymakers worldwide to brace for the fallout, evoking fears of a supply shock dwarfing the 1970s oil embargo.


The blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has stranded around 200 oil tankers at sea, including 37 Indian vessels, crippling a route that carries 22% of global oil shipments. India sources nearly 50% of its crude oil and LNG through this vital passage, heightening risks to its energy security.


Crude prices have skyrocketed to $116 per barrel by day ten, a 60% leap from $72–73 on February 28, when markets were sliding. Attacks on energy infrastructure have exacerbated the chaos: Iran deployed drones against oil and gas facilities, refineries, and storage in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and Iraq, targeting major refineries in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, which are key global export hubs. Israel retaliated by striking Iranian oil depots. Anticipating the growing dangers of war, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE have reduced production in certain oil fields.


Recession Warnings Mount

Amid soaring oil prices, Scotland-based Wood Mackenzie has warned of a global recession stemming from this war. Its report asserts that if the conflict persists for 15 days, the world economy could slide into a great depression, driven primarily by an oil crisis eclipsing the 1970s shock, and echoes of 1929 haunt the markets.


IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has warned that if oil prices rise by around 10% throughout the year and hold steady, global inflation could climb by about 0.4%. She added that world output might decline by 0.1 to 0.2% as a result. Rising oil and gas prices tend to have the most profound impact on the global economy.


Price Pressures

Fuel prices have spiked globally: 14% in the US, 6% in Britain, 15% in Australia, 10% in South Korea and China, 20% in Pakistan (petrol at 321 PKR per litre), 22% in the Maldives, and 15% in Sri Lanka, but have increased only by Rs 60 for domestic Indian consumers.


If crude oil prices remain above $100 per barrel for an extended period, petrol and diesel prices in the country could rise by 5–6 rupees per litre. Higher oil costs will inflate freight charges for goods, directly impacting everything from food prices to industrial output.


Geopolitical Shadows

Energy experts foresee prices hitting $150–200 per barrel if the war drags on, amplifying inflation and economic strain. India's Finance Ministry voiced concerns in its monthly review meeting but highlighted ample forex reserves as a buffer. Unanswered questions loom: how long can Iran sustain the fight? Will Gulf states stay neutral? Are Russia and China seeking to prolong this war through indirect support? China has deployed its spy warship to the Arabian Sea, positioning it perilously close to the conflict zone. Beijing remains continuously linked to Iran through its rail–road corridor.


India's prudent stockpiling and non-aligned stance, echoing its Ukraine playbook of pushing peace over partisanship, position it as a beacon of stability. While the world teeters, New Delhi is focused on energy security and citizen welfare.

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