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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.

Pakistan hands over BSF jawan to India after 21 days, celebration at his home

  • PTI
  • May 14, 2025
  • 3 min read


Amritsar: India and Pakistan on Wednesday exchanged each other's border force personnel who had been apprehended along the International Borders (IB) during the recent tensions between the two countries, officials said.


Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw was handed over to Indian authorities at the Attari-Wagah border point in Amritsar, 21 days after he was apprehended by the Pakistan Rangers along the IB in Punjab.


"With the consistent efforts of the BSF through regular flag meetings with the Pakistan Rangers and through other communication channels, the repatriation of the BSF constable has become possible," a BSF spokesperson said.


Shaw was apprehended while he was deployed to guard the farmers on the border, a day after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 people were killed.


The officials said a Pakistan Ranger apprehended by the BSF from the Rajasthan border on May 3 was handed over to the neighbouring country. Officials in Pakistan identified the released Ranger as Muhammadullah.


"Today at 1030 hours Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw has been taken back from Pakistan by the BSF at the Attari-Wagah border," a BSF spokesperson said.


A picture of the jawan released by the force showed a bearded Shaw with ruffled hair and wearing a dark green round-neck T-shirt.


Shaw had "inadvertently" crossed over to the Pakistan territory while on operational duty in the Ferozepur sector on April 23 around 11.50 am and was detained by the Pak Rangers, he said.


The officials told PTI that the jawan will undergo a full body check-up and medical tests, followed by a counselling and 'debriefing' session where he will be asked "relevant questions" by the BSF officials about his 21-day detention by the Rangers.


The jawan, belonging to the 24th BSF battalion, will not be drafted for active duty and will also be part of an official inquiry instituted by the Punjab frontier of the BSF to look into the sequence of his apprehension by the Rangers and find lapses, if any, they said.


The spokesperson said the handover of the jawan at the border "was conducted peacefully and in accordance with established protocols".


The jawan was part of the 'Kisan Guard' that was deployed for the protection of Indian farmers, who till their land ahead of the fence.


The trooper apparently "miscalculated" the alignment of the IB and stepped to rest under a nearby tree from where he was apprehended by the Rangers, the officials had said.


Celebrations erupted at Shaw's residence at Rishra in the Hooghly district of West Bengal following the announcement of his return to India.


Shaw's pregnant wife, Rajani, who had travelled to Pathankot and Ferozepur earlier to personally appeal for her husband's release, thanked the people of the country and political leaders who stood by her during the difficult period.


"The local councillor, MP and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had been in regular touch with me, offering reassurance during the difficult days. I thank each and every one who stood by our family," a smiling Rajani said.


As Shaw's family was informed about his release, relief replaced the intense anxiety that had gripped them for 21 days. The jawan's family members could barely hold back their tears of joy, amid prayers of gratitude and distribution of sweets at his house.


Bholanath Shaw, the jawan's father, said: "Today, we are celebrating. We haven't slept peacefully for days, but now we can finally breathe. He is safe, he is back in India, and that is all that matters."


"I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the central Government and the BSF authorities for their relentless efforts in bringing my son back home," he said.


Tensions soared between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, with India carrying out missile strikes against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7 under Operation Sindoor and Pakistan attacking India's military installations, drawing a retaliation.


The two sides announced an understanding on May 10 to stop military action.

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