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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.

Shared Seas, Shared Strategy

Amid shifting geopolitical plates, India and Mauritius deepen strategic ties to secure prosperity and peace.

In an era of intensifying great-power rivalry, few partnerships exemplify resilience and mutual benefit as neatly as the one between India and Mauritius. Nearly 75 percent of Mauritius’ population trace their ancestry to India. Mahatma Gandhi once graced the island, blessing its aspirations for a bright future. Today, the relationship between the two countries has evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership, spanning economics, culture, security and science, underscoring New Delhi’s ambition to craft a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.


Last month, the visit of the Mauritian Prime Minister Dr. Pravind Jugnauth to India marked the latest chapter in this evolving partnership. As New Delhi confronts rising Chinese assertiveness in the Indian Ocean and protectionist US trade policies, Mauritius has emerged as an invaluable ally.


India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policies have found fertile ground in Mauritius. Both nations have invested heavily in maritime security cooperation over the past six decades. Their geographic proximity and shared interest in preserving sea lanes of communication make them natural partners in this endeavour.


The recent visit saw a slew of agreements, notably in hydrography, maritime research and joint naval exercises, enhancing the region’s surveillance and rapid-response capabilities. This cooperation is not merely defensive. Mauritius, strategically positioned near critical trade routes, plays a pivotal role in securing India’s trade and energy lifelines. The partnership underscores a subtle shift in India’s diplomatic calculus, from viewing Mauritius as a cultural sibling to recognizing it as a strategic linchpin in the Indo-Pacific chessboard.


Mauritius remains one of India’s most significant economic partners in the Indian Ocean region. As India confronts the fallout of US-imposed tariffs and seeks new markets, Mauritius plays a dual role: an investment hub and a gateway to Africa. Notably, Mauritius remains the largest source of foreign direct investment into India, a relationship dating back decades. During the visit, both sides expanded cooperation into emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and critical engineering.


A series of new memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were inked, covering scientific research, manpower training, and power sector collaboration. Perhaps most consequentially, India pledged to establish a 500-bed hospital in Mauritius in the name of the island’s first prime minister, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, alongside the rollout of a Jan Aushadhi centre to enhance affordable healthcare. These initiatives signal India’s growing role in Mauritius’ development story.


While strategic and economic concerns dominate headlines, the cultural and historical ties between the two nations remain foundational. Prime Minister Modi’s emphasis on shared civilizational roots, exemplified by the Bhojpuri cultural connect during Dr. Jugnauth’s visit to Varanasi, reaffirms the soft power dimension of this partnership.


An unexpected yet significant outcome of the visit was the deepening of scientific and technological cooperation. MoUs on space research and human resource development were signed, creating frameworks for collaboration between India’s Department of Science and Mauritius’ Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Research. The Karmayogi Mission, aimed at continuous public sector capacity-building, was extended to Mauritian civil servants, pointing to a growing emphasis on institutional capacity as a vector of cooperation.


This partnership now stands as a prototype of India’s larger Indo-Pacific strategy. It reflects a pragmatic combination of cultural affinity, historical support (India backed Mauritius during its independence movement) and modern-day realpolitik. The two nations exemplify how shared destiny and dreams can transcend mere geography, becoming a model of how medium-sized powers can align to foster regional balance.


Mauritius’s strategic location gives India an edge in a region increasingly fraught with tensions. The joint efforts to combat terrorism, expand trade, and build sustainable infrastructure are not limited to bilateral gains but have positive spillovers for the broader South Asian region. As New Delhi confronts trade barriers and geopolitical isolation, Port Louis stands out as a steadfast partner, helping India balance power dynamics without overt confrontation.

(The writer is a foreign affairs expert. Views personal.)

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