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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.

Overdue Praise

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

In a city that never sleeps, with a population of over 20 million, the Mumbai police face a Sisyphean task. Yet, during the recent Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, they once again demonstrated their remarkable ability to balance order with tradition, ensuring a peaceful end to one of the country’s most widely celebrated festivals.

Ganesh Chaturthi is not merely a religious festival but also a logistical nightmare. Millions of devotees flood the streets, throwing traffic off-kilter as massive idols are paraded through the city to the Arabian Sea. The city’s overstretched and underpaid police force must ensure public safety, regulate traffic and monitor the ever-present threat of terrorist activity in a metropolis that has seen its fair share of attacks. Yet, year after year, the festival concludes with minimal incident. This year was no different, with 24,000 thousand personnel deployed to oversee the Visarjan.

What makes the police’s performance even more impressive is the scale of their operation despite being hamstrung by a woefully inadequate force of barely 50,000 police officers. Not just festivals, but Mumbai’s police have to cope with increasing crime and social unrest. In comparison, New York City, with a population of around 8 million, has over 36,000 officers. The ratio of police to citizens in Mumbai is a stark reminder of how little the force has to work with.

Despite this, the Mumbai police regularly pull off large-scale operations. The coordination required is staggering. But while they toil behind the scenes, they are often lambasted in public discourse as corrupt and incompetent.

The vast majority of officers work tirelessly in harsh conditions often without proper breaks, working in congested areas where pollution and stress are constant companions. In 2022, the Maharashtra government recorded over 1,000 cases of illness and mental health problems among police officers, a reflection of the strain under which they operate.

Moreover, the public’s lack of faith in the police is partly fuelled by media portrayals. Bollywood films routinely depict police officers as either incompetent or corrupt, reinforcing negative stereotypes. In reality, many Mumbai police officers exhibit remarkable professionalism, particularly in high-pressure situations. The handling of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks showcased the bravery of the police force in responding to an unprecedented crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mumbai’s police were lauded for their efforts in enforcing lockdowns and distributing food. The challenges faced by the Mumbai police are manifold. They contend with a demoralising lack of resources — lack of patrol cars, decrepit station infrastructure and outdated crime-fighting technology. But despite this, the police have shown incredible adaptability.

It is time to recognise that for every negative headline, there are untold stories of dedication and quiet professionalism. Rather than vilify them, we must understand the conditions they work under and the enormity of their task. If Mumbai is to continue as India’s financial capital and cultural heart, its police force will need more than just our thanks — they will need the resources, reform, and respect they so rightly deserve.

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