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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.

The Badlapur Horror Story

Updated: Oct 21, 2024


The Badlapur Horror Story

The protest in Badlapur on Tuesday, sparked by the sexual abuse of two minor girls, was not politically motivated but reflected the community’s deep frustration and anger. It demonstrated how ordinary citizens act when law enforcement fails. Understanding the sequence of events is crucial before making assumptions about the protest’s causes.

Adarsh Vidya Mandir is a well-known school in Badlapur East, with its students making it to the merit list in recent years. Tushar Apte and his brother, both affiliated with the BJP, serve as the school’s directors.

In Lalita Kumari v. Union of India, the Supreme Court ruled that an investigation should follow the registration of a case. However, no case was filed in this instance, which was unacceptable. Despite the requirement under Section 27 of the POCSO Act for medical treatment before filing a case, the police deliberately delayed the girls’ medical care by ten hours after filing.

It is the responsibility of the police to safeguard the public while enforcing the law, but many fail to do so. Senior Police Inspector Shubhada Shitole, despite being a woman, caused an unacceptably long delay in the case. This mishandling led to the community’s frustration. The Badlapur residents might not have taken to the streets if Shitole and her station had not appeared to support the accused and politicians.

School administrators are required to maintain a log of faculty conduct every three months and ensure teachers interact positively with students. Children should also be taught about “Bad touch and Good touch” by both parents and teachers. However, it seems the institution is neglecting these measures for profit. When schools threaten to exclude parents from reporting sexual abuse, the education department should investigate and take prompt action against such establishments.

In the Badlapur case, the government announced a fast-track trial. However, how many cases have been trial in fast-track courts, and how long did it take for the findings? The government should make these numbers public so that people are aware of the resolution times for such cases.


Let’s examine the sequence of events in this incident

13th August: A four-year-old girl complained of genital soreness to her parents. She informed them that the uncle, a sweeper at the school, had misbehaved with her when she went to use the school washroom. Her parents immediately took her to the doctor for a medical examination.

14th August: The child’s parents visited the school and informed the principal and the class teacher about their daughter’s experience. However, both attempted to avoid accountability by claiming the incident did not occur there. The sanitation worker, Akshay Shinde, rejected the parent’s claim as well. According to another parent, a friend of the four-year-old girl, who is three years and ten months old, had not attended school for the previous eight days due to a similar experience. Despite informing the school administration, the management ignored the situation and threatened the parents, who received calls instructing them not to contact the police.

15th August: CM Eknath Shinde travelled to Badlapur to attend the Varsha Marathon function, but attempts were made to keep him in the dark about the incident.

16th August: In the morning, the girl’s parents reported the incident to Senior Inspector Shubhada Shitole at Badlapur East police station. Despite her efforts to downplay the situation, journalist Mohini Jadhav and a child protection officer arrived at the station. Shitole then visited Adarsh School for inquiries. Back at the station, she tried again to persuade the parents not to file a formal complaint, but they refused. The case was recorded at 11:30 pm, and the girls were taken to a government hospital in Ulhasnagar for medical attention in the middle of the night, with their examinations occurring ten hours later.

17th August: Even though the school claimed that the incident did not occur on their premises, the police took Akshay Shinde into custody. Efforts were made to keep the issue quiet, however, it was publicised through social media

18th August: The Badlapur police began knocking on the doors of the social media users who publicised the incident in a bid to get them to back down

19th August: A few irate Badlapur residents called for a demonstration in front of the school.

20th August: At nine in the morning, furious Badlapurkars vandalised the school and attempted to disrupt the train schedule by occupying the rail tracks. The protest lacked political leadership and was a spontaneous outburst from the community.

The writer is a practicing lawyer. Views personal

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