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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.

Sub-caste Reservations: Questions Before Execution

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

Sub-caste Reservations: Questions Before Execution

The word ‘reservation’ acts like an alert or an alarm, impacting not just specific castes and categories but the entire population. The Supreme Court of India said it was considering implementing sub-caste reservations within pre-decided caste categories. Reservation issues remain a national concern, not only for a single state but for the whole nation.

Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Punjab have all experienced significant reservation-based violence. Mayawati criticised the Supreme Court’s decision to sub-classify Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities, calling it “unfair” on Twitter. She argued that the reality contradicts the official statements, with various caste groups having their own grievances. Her remarks signal a strong rejection of the SC’s decision and reflect political motives, with the BSP chief also accusing Congress of supporting sub-classification. The current situation remains disconnected from the real issues at hand.

It’s important to understand that the reservation system is not designed solely to alleviate poverty for specific castes or classes. Rather, it aims to create equitable opportunities for marginalized groups, including migrants and those at the lower end of the social spectrum. SC and ST classifications address specific groups, but some privileged classes perceive this as merely a quota system. Every few years, a designated team selects a prominent leader from the depressed classes to represent them. However, the leader’s effectiveness often reflects their caste’s influence, and policies tend to impact the entire caste rather than benefiting individuals broadly. Ideally, a leader should address the needs of the entire category, but often, the results are confined to specific castes.

The National Congress President, Mallikarjun Kharge, announced that before finalising the party’s stance on the sub-classification of SCs and STs, they will consult NGOs, lawyers, and other stakeholders. This suggests that Congress may support sub-classification. BSP leader Mayawati’s tweet critiques not only Congress but also resonates with the common people who face persistent challenges. From railway tickets to highway tolls and recruitment forms, many feel stuck in a system where certain classes always seem to benefit more, highlighting a disparity between official policies and everyday realities.

Lok Janshakti Party Chief, Ram Vilas, and Union Minister, Chirag Paswan criticised the Supreme Court’s SC classification, stating it ignored the principles of untouchability, which were central to the original classification. This marks the first time during the Modi government that a leader has publicly countered a position taken by the senior leadership.

The Supreme Court’s comments have had a big impact on Indians. We await the next hearing for further developments.

The writer is a an engineer. Views personal.

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