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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.

Red Sea Inferno

Updated: Mar 20, 2025

Donald Trump’s strikes on Yemen have reminded the Houthis that America’s patience has limits.

Yemen

For too long, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have held the Red Sea hostage, attacking commercial ships and military vessels with impunity. With Donald Trump back in the White House, it appears that the days of unchecked Houthi terrorism are over after the US President launched a major military campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, vowing to neutralize their ability to threaten commercial shipping. In response, the Houthis have escalated their attacks, sinking vessels and targeting American warships.


The Houthis, a Zaydi Shia rebel movement backed by Iran, have long been a thorn in the side of regional powers. Emerging from Yemen’s mountainous north, the group seized the capital, Sanaa in 2014, toppling the Saudi-backed government. This triggered a Saudi-led military intervention, backed by the United States, that has since locked Yemen in a brutal and seemingly endless civil war. Over the years, the Houthis have evolved from a ragtag insurgency into a formidable military force, capable of launching ballistic missiles at Riyadh and downing American drones. They have also perfected the art of asymmetric naval warfare, disrupting Red Sea shipping routes with explosive-laden drones and missile attacks.


The latest round of hostilities began in October 2023, when the Houthis started targeting vessels linked to Israel and its allies in a show of solidarity with Hamas during the war in Gaza. For months, American and British warships intercepted Houthi missiles and drones, limiting the damage. But after Israel cut humanitarian aid to Gaza earlier this month, the Houthis vowed to renew their attacks. In response, the United States launched its most extensive airstrikes on Yemen in years, killing at least 53 people, including civilians. Washington insists the strikes will continue until the Houthis cease their maritime aggression.


The Trump administration has framed the escalation as part of its broader strategy to contain Iran, which it accuses of orchestrating the attacks through its proxy network. Trump has vowed to hold Tehran “fully accountable” and reinstated the terrorist designation for the Houthis, reversing a decision by Joe Biden in 2021. Yet Iran, as always, is playing a game of calculated ambiguity. While providing weapons, intelligence and training to the Houthis, it has denied operational control over their actions. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard commander, General Hossein Salami, has dismissed American allegations insisting that the Houthis act independently.


This renewed conflict in the Red Sea comes at a time of broader strategic uncertainty in the region. Trump has renewed his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, imposing fresh sanctions and demanding new nuclear negotiations.


Israel’s war in Gaza, which has inflamed anti-Western sentiment across the Arab world, has provided groups like the Houthis with a justification for their attacks who frame their aggression as a righteous defence of Palestinian rights.


For America, the stakes in the Red Sea are enormous. Nearly 12 percent of global trade, including 30 percent of global container traffic, passes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis’ attacks have already driven up shipping costs, forcing vessels to take the longer and costlier route around Africa.


On a historical note, Yemen has been the graveyard of empires. The British failed to control it in the 1960s. The Egyptians suffered a humiliating defeat there in the 1950s and ‘60s. Saudi Arabia’s war effort, backed by American intelligence and weapons, has similarly failed to dislodge the Houthis.


Under the weak leadership of Joe Biden, they escalated their aggression, emboldened by Washington’s reluctance to confront them head-on. Over the past 18 months, the Houthis had launched 174 direct attacks on the U.S. Navy and 145 strikes on commercial ships. They sank two vessels, killing innocent sailors, and disrupted one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Now, by launching decisive airstrikes against the rebels, Trump has reaffirmed that America will not tolerate threats to global trade, military assets, or innocent sailors.

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