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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.

Reverse Gear For Education

Updated: Oct 25, 2024

Adopt a School,

The Maharashtra government had announced a new scheme on September 19 last year that will allow private entities with a SEBI registered CSR certificate to adopt government schools in the state. The scheme, called Adopt a School, aims to improve the quality of education and infrastructure in these schools, irrespective of their medium of instruction. The scheme will be implemented in phases across the state and the period of adoption will be either five or ten years. The private entities can also choose to add their name to the existing name of the school for the duration of the adoption.


As per the government decision it allows individuals, corporations, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to adopt government schools. The initiative intends to improve the overall standard and educational quality. This decision has not gone down well among the educationists and teachers as well. Thousands of primary teachers took to the streets after the government’s decision. Multiple organisations actively working in the interiors of Maharashtra have come together against the state government’s decision in the sector of school education–amendment to Right To Education (RTE) Act, Scheme of Cluster of Schools and adoption of schools.


Significantly, out of the total 509 schools which closed down in Maharashtra, the highest figure belonged to the private sector. As against 19,632 private schools recorded in 2020-21, Maharashtra now has 19,268 private schools, indicating closure of 364 schools. In comparison, only 95 government schools have closed down during the period.


At the same time speculation over the corporate giant who wish to adopt some 5,000 schools in the state under its “Adopt a School” scheme got louder. It all started when School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar while addressing a press conference in Mumbai said a city-based multinational conglomerate is looking to adopt 5,000 government-run schools in the state. “A big corporate house has shown interest in adopting one school in each administrative block having 8-10 schools”, the Minister stated without disclosing any name. But within a few days the reality came into the light that the multinational conglomerate is Reliance Education owned by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).


The scheme, which was announced in September 2023, envisaged a model under which individuals, corporations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) could adopt government schools. Some of them showed interest in schools. But the real reason behind their generosity was the land of schools. They were hardly bothered about upgrading the infrastructure and amenities at these schools and improving the quality of education. Due to which, the scheme met with stiff opposition by students, teachers and parents. Education activist Heramb Kulkarni said the government is not serious about the feelings of stakeholders. Students, teachers and parents have written letters to the state government.

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