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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.

Warriors of the Night

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

We name our daughters Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati; we worship the divine feminine power in the temples but oppress, repress and even attack the feminine power amidst us. That is the irony in the way India sees its women.


After the safety of the daylight fades, women are seen as easy prey by the predators of the night.

We mark the nine nights of Navratri, the festival of the goddess, by celebrating the dedication and valour of nine real-life women who brave the challenges of the night to pursue their dreams.


PART - 9


Heroic Fire Fighter

The Fearless Fighter says she finds happiness in helping people in distress

Heroic Fire Fighter

Ankita Ghadigaokar, 29, Fire Fighter, Mumbai Fire Brigade


She was once taken to a building collapse site as part of her training. A seven-storeyed building had collapsed in Mumbai’s Bhendi Bazaar like a pack of cards. Some were dead, and some were trapped under the rubble. Looking at the disastrous site, Ankita Ghadigaonkar, 29, almost repented her decision to become a fire fighter. However, once she managed to help rescue one of the trapped residents, she assured that her choice was perfect. “When I saw the delight in the eyes of the relatives of the rescued person, I felt satisfied that my efforts were not going in vain. I was very happy that I was contributing to a great cause.”


Hailing from Kudal in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, Ghadigaonkar came to Mumbai to become a cop, however, she landed up in Mumbai fire brigade services. She has been into this profession for the past seven years. “Right from day one, I have always done a night shift. My parents supported my decision. My job is to stay on call. Where there is a major fire, or an accident, or a building collapse, or a pigeon or any animal being trapped somewhere; When I get a call, my job is to rush to the spot along with the concerned personnel and equipment,” she says Ghadigaonkar said that her first day was also a nightshift and she was posted at Byculla Fire Brigade service centre.


She said that the co-workers and staff have always been supportive and she never had any unwelcoming experiences while at work. However, she pointed out that travel used to get scary in the initial days. Ghadigaokar said, “We never had pick up and drop facility. I am a Kalyan resident. There was a time when I had to travel back from Matheran. When I used to board the train at 1 am, the compartment used to be empty. That travel used to be very scary. I was under the constant threat of strangers barging into the train and harming me. Not a single guard would be there. By god’s grace no untoward incident has taken place till date. However, a possibility of an unfortunate incident during that train travel couldn’t be ruled out.”


Ghadigaokar’s husband and family are supportive of her work. “Interestingly, everyone wanted a working woman, but at the same time, their expectation was that she must be available as per their convenience. Many rejected me because I was always assigned a night duty. Finally, I met my husband who was very mature and understood my professional commitments very well.”


Talking about the rising crimes against women, Ghadigaokar advises that all the women should know how to call the emergency services and have these numbers saved. “I have all the relevant contact details of CRPF, police, RPF saved,” she says. She advises women to also stay in touch with relatives about their whereabouts so that when in crisis, they can reach out for help.

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