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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.

Unchecked Expansion

The Karnataka Waqf Board’s recent claim over Bidar Fort, a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India for over seven decades, has sparked alarm and triggered controversy. This development, compounded by similar land disputes in Maharashtra and Telangana, has ignited tensions across southern India. Citizens, conservation authorities and temple trustees alike are increasingly concerned that the Waqf Board’s expansive reach over public, private, and religious lands might not only disrupt land ownership but also escalate communal divides.


The Bidar Fort, a 15th-century historical landmark, was reclassified as waqf property by the Karnataka Waqf Board in 2005, a move that went largely unnoticed until recently. Local authorities, including Bidar’s deputy commissioner and ASI officers, expressed shock at the board’s assertion, especially since ASI has managed the fort for decades. The Waqf board’s inclusion of Bidar’s historically significant monuments under its jurisdiction has raised serious governance concerns, with authorities confirming they were unaware of such claims. Meanwhile, the Waqf Board has also extended its reach to nearby villages like Dharmapur and Chatnalli in Bidar taluk, marking 26 acres under Survey no. 87 in Dharmapur village. These areas, previously outside the board’s scope, have now been reclassified as waqf properties, causing uncertainty among farmers, schools, and local communities.


The board’s actions in Karnataka are part of a broader trend of similar land claims in other states, including Maharashtra and Telangana. In Maharashtra, the Waqf Board’s assertion over 40 acres surrounding the Kanifnath Temple in Ahmednagar had led to a confrontation with temple trustees, who argue that historical records confirm the land’s ownership by the temple. The dispute has escalated as the Waqf Board has installed signs claiming ownership, intensifying tensions. In Telangana, the Waqf Board’s declaration over 750 acres in Malkajgiri district has frozen property transactions across several residential neighbourhoods, with locals decrying the lack of prior notification.


The Waqf Board’s growing reach has stoked fears that these actions are part of a broader, more politically motivated strategy. Intelligence officials warn that the Waqf Board’s claims over properties, spanning agricultural, temple, and residential lands across Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, could fuel secessionist sentiments. The rise in such disputes has led some to see the Waqf Board’s actions as land-grabbing, disproportionately affecting Hindu and Christian communities in these regions.


The increasing influence of the Waqf Board in land ownership could lead to destabilizing communal and territorial rifts. If left unchecked, the Waqf Board’s expanding power could set a dangerous precedent, challenging property rights and communal harmony. It is imperative for the central and state governments to take swift action to prevent these claims from spiralling into a full-scale political crisis.

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