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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.

Shinde’s man likely to join BJP

Shivaji Sawant
Shivaji Sawant

Mumbai: While lots of political workers are switching loyalties and aligning with political parties of convenience ahead of local body polls, in probably first of such a case, a senior leader from Shiv Sena under Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is likely to join the BJP very soon.


Shivaji Sawant, brother of former Maharashtra minister for public health Tanaji sawant and the Solapur district Sampark Pramukh of Shiv Sena, is learnt to have had a series of meetings with senior BJP leaders including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over past few days, and now he is likely to join the BJP, sources have said.


Tanaji Sawant was very vocal about the Shiv Sena’s powers and the party’s relationship with the BJP while he was minister for public health in Eknath Shinde’s cabinet. He was one of the most controversial ministers of the Shinde cabinet and was also accused of shielding corruption. It was due to this image he could not find place in the Fadnavis cabinet. Though it came as a shock for him, he didn’t react in his typical style and tried to under play being side lined in the state politics.


However, his brother Shivaji couldn’t fathom it when similar things started happening with him. He was upset when initially his opinion was not sought while making appointments on party posts in Madha. When it became a regular feature in the district party organization, he decided to resign from his post. However, the attention seeking gesture too was ignored by the party leadership, which forced Sawant to start thinking on other viable options.


The feat is being seen as the BJP’s efforts to keep the party organization in the district in order. The party has 5 out of 6 MLAs in the district though it lost its MP to the Congress last year. Two of the MLAs have over 15 years of experience and they have their own factions within the party organisation. Before the assembly polls last year the BJP entrusted Mangalwedha MLA Sachin Kalyanshetti with the responsibility of district chief. But, that led to rise of a third faction within the party. Hence, in the recent internal reshuffle the party ensured all key posts go to long standing party loyalists who haven’t got any posts of power. On this backdrop, Shivaji Sawant’s bid to join the BJP needs to be seen.


Sawant is expected to join the BJP along with his son and supporters which include Dilip Kolhe, former deputy mayor of Solapur Municipal Corporation. So, on Sawant’s part this is clearly a move to ensure political future of his own as well as his son and the supporters. While, for the BJP it appears to be an attempt to keep the warring factions within the party under tab and ensure electoral victory by infusing new power from outside.


Sawant initially met rural development minister Jaykumar Gore last week. He then had closed door meetings with a couple of senior BJP leaders from the party organisation and on Sunday he met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who was in Solapur for an official function. According to Kolhe, Fadnavis has assured them of time for a detailed meeting in Mumbai very soon after which decision will be taken on whether he will be inducted in the party in Mumbai or at Madha, which is his area of influence.

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