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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.

Inclusive RSS bats for regional languages

Outreach across professions, geographies, and communities Sangh's main goal

New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Monday reiterated its stand that all Indian languages are national languages and the primary education should be taught in the local language.


The RSS stand has come amid the language row in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu where the “imposition” of Hindi as the third language in school curriculum was fiercely opposed.


Sunil Ambekar, the RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, said, “Sangh has always had the stand that all languages of India are national languages. People speak their languages in their own places. Primary education should be disseminated in the same language, this is what everyone has been requesting. This is already established."


He was addressing the reporters informing them about the decisions taken at the Pracharak Baithak that was held last week.


The language controversy emerged following the introduction of the Three-Language Policy under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This policy requires students to learn three languages during their schooling years. It aims to foster multilingualism while balancing national unity with regional diversity. The policy provides states and institutions with flexibility in selecting which languages to teach, ensuring at least two of them are native to India.


During the baithak, the roadmap for the RSS Centenary Year was discussed in depth. Hindu Sammelans will be held in every mandal and basti, covering 58,964 mandals and 43,000 bastis. 11,360 places, including every khand and nagar, will host Samajik Sadbhav Baithaks with participation from all communities to discuss positive societal work. A Ghar-Ghar Sampark Abhiyan will be launched, aiming to reach every house and every village. In all 924 Zilhas, meetings will be organised with prominent citizens, professionals, and organisations, focusing on themes like Bharat, Hindu, and national unity.


These Hindu Sammelans will not only aim at broader unity but also focus on Hindu ekta through dialogue. In these gatherings, special discussions will be held on the internal misconceptions or misunderstandings within the Hindu society in specific areas, and how to overcome them with mutual respect, awareness, and organisation, Ambekar informed.


Social Integration

The main goal for the centenary year is inclusive outreach across professions, geographies, and communities to foster holistic social integration.


Ambekdar said that, the idea of Bharat Mata is not a Sangh creation, but a part of our civilisational tradition. Freedom fighters visualised the motherland as a divine mother, an image to be respected, revered, and protected. Everyone must be envisioned Bharat Mata with dignity and devotion. These values will be actively carried to the masses during the upcoming Ghar Sampark Abhiyan.


As part of the year-long centenary year celebrations, a Grah Sampark Abhiyan will be launched in November 2025. For 21 days, swayamsevaks from every shakha will go door-to-door with literature and information about the Sangh’s work, engaging with society directly. In addition, Samajik Sadbhav Baithaks will be conducted across the nation to foster harmony different communities.


Meitei-Kuki dialogue being encouraged

RSS volunteers are making efforts to reduce tension in Manipur by promoting dialogue between Meitei and Kuki communities, Sunil Ambekar said on Monday, asserting that peace is gradually returning to the state.


“RSS swayamsevaks are promoting talks between their Meitei and Kuki communities, and all the people, so that there is a good atmosphere among them. They are trying for this,” he said.


Ambekar said that the situation in Manipur has improved compared to last year.


Replying to a question on the opposition's claim that there is no normalcy in the state, Ambekar said, “When conditions worsen anywhere, it does not get better in a day. But definitely, if we compare it with the previous years, peace has started returning to some extent.


"The peace process has begun. The dialogues happening between the two sides will progress.”


More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.

The Centre had on February 13 imposed the President's rule in Manipur after the then chief minister N Biren Singh resigned. The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.

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