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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.

Pawar's strategic suspense over MVA’s poll fate

NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar during a press conference in Nagpur on Saturday. Pic: PTI
NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar during a press conference in Nagpur on Saturday. Pic: PTI

Mumbai: NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar maintained suspense over the fate of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) post Shiv Sena (UBT) joining hands with Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).


Pawar, who addressed a press conference at Nagpur on Saturday skipped questions on whether MNS would be a part of the MVA.


“Let them come together first. We shall decide on what to do after that,” Pawar said while dodging the questions related to the MNS and the MVA.


While Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS have been cozying up after the agitation thwarting compulsion of Hindi as third language in the state-run primary schools in Maharashtra and are expected to contest the forthcoming local body elections in alliance, the political circles are rife with speculations about the fate of the MVA. While the Congress has expressed its displeasure over prospects of MNS joining hands with Shiv Sena (UBT) and subsequently the MVA, Pawar hasn’t revealed his party’s stand over the issue.


Sharad Pawar and the state Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal had avoided participating in the ‘victory rally’ at Worli about a month ago where Thackeray brothers Uddhav and Raj shared dais for the first time almost after two decades. Though some of the second-third rank leaders from the NCP (SP) and the Congress attended the event, all of them sat in the audience until they were called on stage at the end.


Questions over existence

Political analysts said the absence of Pawar and Sakpal was an indication that for the BMC and other local body polls, the MVA may not exist in its current form.


The Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS might have an alliance, while the Congress and NCP (SP) were likely to have an alliance while taking along other MVA constituents like the Samajwadi Party (SP) into their front.


With Raj’s hardline ‘Marathi manoos’ and earlier anti-north Indian stand, and also the hardline Hindutva stand, especially on the issue of loudspeakers on mosques, the Congress and NCP (SP) would want to stay away from the Thackeray brothers or face the risk of losing their Muslim, North Indian, South Indian, and Dalit vote in local body polls.


Also, with Raj's MNS in the alliance, seat sharing in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Thane, and other cities in the MMR would be difficult within the MVA. Hence, it is assumed that the Congress and Pawar deliberately kept away from the victory rally so that they are not seen as playing second fiddle for the BMC and other local body polls.


According to analysts, the Congress had been wary of Raj Thackeray’s presence, and hence they treated the event as a reunion of the Thackerays and not the MNS's entry into the MVA.


The MVA has become a fractured front after the drubbing in the state assembly polls, but the reunion might help the Thackeray brother to salvage the Sena (UBT) and MNS from political oblivion. While the Thackerays are focused primarily on Mumbai-Pune-Nashik triangle, the Congress and the NCP (SP) have a challenge to regain their bastions in the rest of Maharashtra from the Mahayuti. Hence, they kept out of the Thackeray family reunion.


Analysists also feel that the Shiv Sena (UBT) too will benefit by moving away from the Congress and be seen as leaving its core Hindutva and Marathi Manoos ideology. Charges of Muslim appeasement on them will also not stick anymore if they don't ally with Congress.


On this backdrop, Pawar’s guided silence over prospects of MNS joining the MVA leads to more questions than answers.


‘ECI should look into Rahul's presentation’

Sharad Pawar on Saturday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's presentation on "vote theft" was well-researched and well-documented, and it is up to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to look into the matter.


Addressing a press conference in Nagpur, Pawar admitted that the MVA should have been more careful before the elections in Maharashtra.


"We should have looked into it earlier and been careful," he said.


Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has described the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as an "institutionalisedchori" and claimed that the Election Commission was "openly colluding" with the BJP to carry out this "theft" with the objective of taking away the voting rights of the poor.


Pawar said Gandhi had made his presentation with detailed proof. "The ECI should look into it," he said.


The veteran leader lamented that Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray's seating at a dinner meeting hosted by Rahul Gandhi has become an unnecessary controversy.


"There was a PowerPoint presentation. When we watch a movie on screen, we don't sit in front but at the back. Farooq Abdullah and I sat at the back. Similarly, Uddhav Thackeray and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were also seated at the back to watch the presentation properly," he said. He further stated that the Opposition is yet to decide its stand on the Vice-Presidential election slated for September 9. Pawar also rejected speculations about his faction joining hands with the ruling NCP led by his nephew Ajit Pawar. "We will never align with a BJP-led alliance," he asserted.


‘Will know soon which path Shinde will take’

Against the backdrop of Shiv Sena leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's recent meetings with top BJP leaders in New Delhi, Sharad Pawar on Saturday said that it will soon become clear which "path" he will take.


Pawar said Shinde prefers to keep his cards to his chest and never backs down from his decision.


When asked about Shinde's meetings in Delhi and if he has put out feelers to the Opposition, Pawar replied in the negative.


"We have known Shinde Sahab for many years. He prefers to work quietly and never backs down from doing something. We will soon be able to guess which path Shinde will take," Pawar said cryptically.


Pawar stated that discipline is a speciality of RSS and its affiliates.


"If they make a decision, they try to implement it. RSS has maintained this culture of discipline for several years. I feel they will continue to adhere to discipline," he added.


Opposition of trying to create confusion: Fadnavis

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavisrejected Sharad Pawar’s claims on poll rejigging. He said, “I don't understand one thing, why did Pawar Saheb remember all this only after meeting Rahul Gandhi, and that too after so many days?”


“Sharad Pawar didn't say anything for so long, but today he suddenly made this statement. Just like Rahul Gandhi, who is telling imaginary stories every day, is Pawar Saheb doing the same?” he taunted.


Fadnavis stated, “Even if opponents create confusion, elections in India are held in a free and fair manner. They make accusations about EVMs and the election process in public, but when called by the Election Commission, they don’t turn up. They are not ready to give an affidavit. They say they have taken an oath in Parliament. But, does the oath in Parliament work in the Supreme Court or in the high courts? They know that if caught lying, they could face criminal action. So they just lie every day and run away."

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