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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 Rebel In Action

Jarange

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil is currently interviewing the aspirants who want to contest the assembly elections as the official candidates of the Maratha community. He had been interviewing the candidates continuously for past 24 hours and on Friday, he seemed emotional when the media went to have a look at the process. “Don’t let the fight die off,” he appealed the members of the community as he spoke to the media. However, this has led to questions whether he would emerge victorious in the fight in the court of people.


Born on August 1, 1982 in a modest family of Matori village in Beed district of Marathwada, Jarange-Patil rose to prominence in September 2023 after the police caned several of his supporters who had gathered at his village Antarwali Sarate in Jalna district. The police were trying to end forcefully, his fast, which he had started to push for his demand that Marathas be given caste certificates as Kunbis, which is classified under OBC communities.


After the quota given to Maratha community was struck down by the Supreme Court a couple of years back, the Maratha community leaders had been searching for ways to revive it and what Jarange-Patil is asking for is one of the ways, though it has several legal hurdles. The real issue of confrontation is that he wants the government to make decision in favour of their demand at once and the government is shying away from doing that, though it has already conceded to most of their other demands.


Jarange-Patil wields considerable clout among Maratha youth. They are just crazy after him. They flock in lakhs whenever he calls for a rally. They wait till dawn if he is to pass by their village just have a glimpse of him. It appears as if the new generation of the community have all their hopes rested in him. One upon a time Jarage-Patil was just like them. He had completed his education till class 10 and moved to another district in Marathwada to pursue the traditional profession of farming. However, he got involved more in the community affairs and participated in several agitations of the community including the one for quota after 2016. He is married to Soumitra Jarange, and they have four children. His family life is a testament to his ability to balance his personal and professional responsibilities. His son, Shivraj, is pursuing a B.Tech degree, while daughter, Pallavi, is in class 8.


Much before he participated in the quota stir, in 2009 he had founded the Shivba Sanghatana, an organisation dedicated to the cause of education and employment for Maratha youth. Manoj Jarange-Patil is known for his resilience and unwavering commitment to social justice. His leadership style is characterised by grassroots mobilization and direct action. He has a unique ability to connect with people from various walks of life, which has been instrumental in garnering widespread support for his initiatives. However, his path is fill with political challenges and legal hurdles.

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