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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.

Water taxi likely in Mumbai: Nitesh Rane

Mumbai: The state government is all set to boost various modes of water transport along the coastline, minister for ports and fishing Nitesh Rane has said.


Rane headed a meeting to review the possibilities of starting Water Taxi services around Mumbai coastline. He told the media after the meeting that plans are underway to start the water taxi services on the Gateway of India-Navi Mumbai International Airport route and that he has given instructions to the officials to construct jetties wherever necessary in order to start with the services at the earliest.


“The state government has decided to promote water transport along with the railway services in order to strengthen the transportation network in the state. Apart from Water Taxi, the state government is also contemplating RORO (roll in roll out) services from Mazgaon in Mumbai and Mandwa in Raigad district to various locations in Konkan before Ganesh festival,” Rane said. Such services shall cut down the distance between the Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg district and Mumbai. The vehicles will be able to reach Ratnagiri and about 3.5 hours and to Malwan and Vijaydurg within 4.5-5 hours,” the minister added.


RORO services are currently available between Bhaucha Dhakka (Mazgaon) in Mumbai and Mandva in Raigad district. Vessels with a capacity to carry 100 vehicles and 500 passengers operate on the existing route. “Similar vessels will be used on the extended routes. The speed of these vessels is the key factor that would attract major response to the service, the minister added. A large number of devotees from Mumbai region visit their ancestral villages in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts ahead of Ganesh festival. Hence the government is planning to start the services before the festival,” he added.


Regarding the Water Taxi services, the minister explained that though they will be initially started between Gateway of India and the new international airport coming up in Navi Mumbai, in the later stages various locations in Navi Mumbai will be connected with various locations in Mumbai through water taxi. Apart from passenger transport, the services are expected to be used also for goods transport.


“The services will cut down at least 40 minutes of commute time between the twin cities of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Also, that shall lower traffic snarls and make commuting comfortable while bringing down air pollution in the city,” he stated.


The minister also directed the ports and department to switch to latest technology in order to upgrade the working of one of the oldest departments of the state government. As the first visible upgrade of the department, a mobile application to track various kinds of boats plying along the coastline will soon be brought in.

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