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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.

Under The Shadow of Tainted Image

Updated: Oct 30, 2024

Aaditya Thackeray

Past two and a half years had been the toughest time for the Thackeray family after the rebellion within the party and Uddhav had to resign as Chief Minister in June 2022. Aaditya Thackeray showed great resilience in the assembly as well as on the streets of Mumbai during this period and effectively attacked and exposed the state government, which he calls an ‘illegal government’. Now that when the elections are less than a month away, whether he will be able to show the toughness necessary to save his party is a big question.


Aaditya not just carries the legacy of his forefathers but also speaks of changing the face of the politics. He implemented some impressive ideas as a minister under his father. He cares for the environment, for animals, for health of people. This concern was seen in his actions like his insistence on open gyms at Marine Drive or the huge expenditure incurred on bringing penguins to the zoo in Mumbai. However, he received more criticism than praises for such actions.


His political journey reflects a blend of youthful energy and a commitment to his party’s legacy. His focus on environmental issues and sustainable development continues to shape his political agenda. However, on the other said that he hardly seems to have any connect with the common people, even the voters of his party, and survives only on the image of his forefathers and swanky ideas about environment which hardly resonate with the traditional voters of his party.


Aaditya, 34, completed his schooling at Bombay Scottish School at Mahim and later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from St. Xavier’s College. He also holds a law degree from KC Law College, Mumbai. He also has keen interest in literature and poetry. He has published a book of poems titled “My Thoughts in White and Black” and a music album “Ummeed”.


He had been involved in party affairs even before 2010 when he was appointed as the President of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the party. In 2019, he became the first member of his family to contest and win an election. As an MLA from the Worli constituency, he symbolized the generational shift in the party’s leadership.


Under his father Aaditya held several key ministerial positions in Maharashtra government and served as the Cabinet Minister for Tourism and Environment from 2019 to 2022. While much of that period was lost in COVID, it also saw his name being linked to several cases including deaths of actor Sushantisingh Rajput and Disha Salian. He and his father are also blamed for delay in crucial infrastructure project like the Mumbai Underground Metro line. His image of an ‘anti-development’ politician is a biggest challenge for him to overcome.

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