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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.

Scions hurl dollops of allegations at patriarch

Ravi Ghai
Ravi Ghai

Mumbai: The heirs of the founder of the ‘Kwality’ ice-creams brand comprising the patriarch Ravi Iqbal Ghai and a daughter on one side and his entire clan on the other, are embroiled in a fresh war of words to claim the properties and inheritances estimated to be worth over Rs 350-cr.

 

Days after the ailing Ravi I. Ghai, 83, shot off police complaints naming several of his family members, the latter have apparently ganged up to launch a counter-offensive on him, through public notices in the media.

 

The present division lines within the Ghai family are: Ravi I. Ghai plus his daughter Gaurika Ghai-Chandhok on one side; and on the loaded opposite fence are his estranged wife Geeta (Ravi I.) Ghai, son Gaurav Ghai and his wife Sumita, grandson Shivaan Gaurav Ghai and his wife Alya, and finally granddaughter Sunera (Gaurav) Ghai-Somani.

 

In signed public notices in multiple print media today (July 8), the Ghai Family said they are dismayed to learn about the media communications with “various false, complaints, malicious statements and unsubstantiated allegations” being made by Ravi I. Ghai and Gaurika, concerning Gaurav, his wife and kids.

 

Challenging Ravi I. Ghai’s contentions, the Ghai Family said he had been paid the amounts as agreed and he ceased to have any  beneficial interest in any of the Ghai Family’s assets, business entities, with the entire management confirmed to be with Gaurav Ghai.

 

It added that shares still held by Ravi I. Ghai in Graviss Hospitality Ltd are frozen/held in favour of Gaurav Ghai.

 

Considering Ravi I. Ghai’s actions, his son Gaurav Ghai has initiated legal proceedings, including filing criminal defamation and other complaints to protect the Ghai Family reputation, rights of the Group’s businesses and its employees.

 

“The management of the Ghai Group will continue to adhere to the highest corporate governance standards and follow the ethical principles passed on by the Founder, the Late Shri I. K. Ghai,” assured the Ghai Family.

 

It cautioned the people that Ravi I. Ghai and Gaurika Ghai-Chandhok are not authorized to represent the Ghai Group of companies or the Ghai Family in any manner whatsoever as they do not own any asset belonging to the Ghai Family or manage any of the group’s businesses; and any person dealing with them must bear this in mind.

 

Hot battle to control ice-cream major

The matter – which was first highlighted by ‘The Perfect Voice’ (July 4) – has hotted up further with the senior Ghai threatening to file cases pertaining to frauds, cheating, defamation, etc. against his family members.

 

When contacted, lawyers for Ravi I. Ghai rubbished the contentions of the Ghai Family as ‘a bundle of lies’, and said they are going with their own retaliatory police complaints and appropriate legal proceedings in the matter.

 

They said that the Ghai Family has illegally usurped the company, powers and other rights of Ravi I. Ghai, against which they will shortly move the appropriate courts.

 

The Ghai Family said that the Ghai Group of companies was founded by the late Iqbal Krishan Ghai (in 1939) and now has witnessed huge growth under the leadership of Gaurav Ghai. 

 

The Group now owns-manages the InterContinental Hotel at Marine Drive, Baskin Robbins franchise in the SAARC, the venerable Kwality Ice Creams brand in the GCC and several other foods and hospitality-related ventures.

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