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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.

Sodun or Chorun?

Ajit Pawar’s ‘misinterpreted’ remarks over Dhirubhai Ambani leads to a political storm

Mumbai: A reference to the late industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani followed by a fiery criticism by the opponents led to a big trouble for Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday. The NCP chief felt so offended that he declared to quit politics if he meant something different than what he had said about the founder of the Reliance Group.


Pawar had said, “Dhirbhai Ambani petrol sodun kotyadhish zale”. (Dhirubhai Ambani became a multi-billionaire after started working as a vendor at a petrol pump). Pawar’s opponent Anjali Damania, a social activist, heard chorun (stealing) instead of sodun (vending). That changed the meaning of Pawar’s statement as: Dhirubhai Ambani became a multi-billionaire by stealing petrol when he was working at a petrol pump.


Since the name of one of India’s richest and most influential industrialists was involved in Pawar’s “miss-heard” speech, a political controversy took a shape immediately.


The reported speech

Ajit Pawar was campaigning for the election of the Malegaon Co-operative sugar mill in his hometown Baramati. He explained to the audience how he gave priority to Co-operative sector than anything else. “Had I started a petrol pump, I would have employed only a few people. But, I wanted to protect the Co-Operatives,” Pawar said. “No work should be considered lowly. Dhirubhai Ambani started as a petrol pump vendor. But, fulfilled his dreams and rose to become a multi-millionaire. Youth should have that kind of passion. You can create gold out of your work.”


However, Anjali Damani accused Pawar of insulting the late industrialist and slammed him over the various corruption charge he faced. “They (Ambani) became multi-millionaire by stealing petrol at the pump? And what about you? What else did you do with the irrigation scam, the MSEB scam?” Damania sought to know in a post shared on microblogging platform X.


According to NCP spokesperson Suraj Chavan, while Pawar used the word ‘Sodun’ (vending) while describing Ambani’s rags to riches story at a function, social media posts have gone viral accusing him of using the word ‘Chorun’ (stealing). “The self-styled social worker is deliberately trying to confuse people by saying ‘Chorun’ instead of the word ‘Sodun’ which was used by Ajit Pawar,” Chavan said.


The election of Malegaon Co-operative Sugar Mill is considered to be the most prestigious election in Baramati region. Ajit Pawar himself has decided to contest the election this time and has fielded an entire panel this time. This has led to the possibility of three or four corner contest.


“If I had said anything different, I would quit politics.”

Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister

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