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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 Big Dreamer

Updated: Oct 30, 2024

Raj Thackeray

The MNS president Raj Thackeray is eyeing a major role to play after the Assembly elections. His recent decisions, first to field his son Amit from Mahim constituency and not to field a candidate against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, are both indicative of the fact that he is playing his cards very carefully this time around.


Thackeray had declared complete support to PM Narendra Modi and lent an unconditional support to the BJP during Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. He had to face sharp criticism from his cousin Uddhav Thackeray for the feat. Yet he remained firm on his decision. However, he surprised everybody when he announced that he shall go solo in the state assembly elections and shall try to field candidates from all the 288 constituencies.


He has also suffered politically due to such inconsistencies. Yet, the journey is a testament to his commitment to regionalism and the promotion of Marathi identity. While his methods and rhetoric have often sparked controversy, his influence in Maharashtra’s politics is undeniable. Thackeray continues to shape the political discourse in the state, advocating for the rights and interests of the Marathi-speaking population.


Born as Swararaj Shrikant Thackeray on June 14, 1968, the nephew of Bal Thackeray, the founder of Shiv Sena, picked up his oratory, style, organisational skills and the witty nature of a cartoonist. He began his political journey in the Shiv Sena when he founded the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena (BVS), the party’s student wing, in the late 1980’s.


Due to his impressive role in the 1990 Assembly elections, political analysts started seeing the hair apparat for the Shiv Sena in him. However, soon cousin Uddhav too joined the politics and gained prominence in the party. Tensions grew between the cousins leading to Raj’s resignation from Shiv Sena in 2005.


In March 2006, Thackeray launched the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), a regional party focused on advocating for the rights and interests of the Marathi-speaking population. The MNS quickly gained attention for its aggressive stance on issues such as the influx of migrants from other Indian states, which Raj argued was diluting the cultural identity of Maharashtra. The party’s 2008 anti-North Indian campaign, where MNS activists targeted migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, led to widespread violence and arrests of party workers. But, this time he was briefly detained and then released on bail. His popularity skyrocketed and his party began protests demanding that business signboards in Mumbai be written in Marathi, reflecting his commitment to promoting the Marathi language and culture. As a result, the party bagged 13 assembly seats in 2009. He also got good foothold in local bodies of Pune, Nashik and Mumbai. However, he failed to keep the momentum.


Thackeray’s charismatic oratory and strong regionalist stance still holds a good chunk of support base for him. It now needs to be seen whether this base helps him to fulfil his dream to become a Kingmaker.

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