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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.

Who Took the Cookie Out of the Jar?

cookie

In today’s hyper-connected world, the word ‘cookie’ evokes more than just the buttery delights that accompany a cup of tea. Beyond the realm of nankhatai and chocolate chip confections lies another, far less appetizing variety: the digital cookie. These virtual snippets, invisible to the naked eye, are the linchpin of modern online functionality, facilitating everything from smoother website logins to tracking consumer habits. Yet, just as cookies crumble under a bite, so too can the veil of digital privacy when these data packets are misused.


The Good Cookies: Embedded in websites and stored on users’ devices, cookies were created to enhance online experiences. Their role in streamlining the digital journey is significant: session management, personalized browsing, and efficient data retention are just a few examples of how cookies can be beneficial.


Cookies: These ephemeral files exist only for the duration of a user’s visit. When a browser is closed, session cookies vanish. Their utility is most evident in maintaining a seamless experience. For instance, preserving login status or retaining items in a shopping cart.


Persistent Cookies: Unlike their transient counterparts, persistent cookies linger on devices for a predetermined time. They allow websites to remember user preferences, such as language settings or recurring login details.


First-Party Cookies: Cookies generated by visited sites enable core functions and basic analytics. When used responsibly, they enhance convenience and create a personalized digital experience. But as the saying goes, every rose has its thorn.


Not all cookies are benign. What starts as a simple text file can quickly become a tool for intrusion. The shift from convenience to compromise is seamless and often invisible to users.


While cookies aid data retention for targeted advertising, they also offer opportunities for cybercriminals. Browsing data can turn into exploitable digital dossiers, escalating tracking from ad personalization to security risks. This fuels a data brokerage industry where user data is compiled and sold, blurring the line between utility and intrusion. Cookies underpin this multi-billion-dollar market, often unbeknownst to users whose actions are part of a hidden auction.


One of the more insidious exploits, session hijacking, can be triggered through man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). By stealing session cookies, cybercriminals can bypass login credentials and impersonate users. In cases of online banking or cryptocurrency platforms, the implications are severe. Reports from 2019 to 2020 highlighted a wave of incidents where session cookies were used to gain unauthorized access, leading to substantial financial thefts.


In sensitive sectors like banking, stolen session cookies let attackers impersonate users and access accounts without passwords, highlighting the need for strong security measures like encryption and multi-factor authentication. Persistent cookies are prime targets for phishing schemes, capturing data on fraudulent sites and enabling identity theft. Modern phishing campaigns use advanced techniques where cookies are key, embedding malicious code in legitimate-seeming emails or sites to deceive users into revealing data.


Persistent cookies also find their way into shadowy practices involving ‘supercookies’ and ‘zombie cookies’ - variations that can regenerate even after deletion. These are used to track user behaviour far more invasively, making it difficult for individuals to regain control over their data. Supercookies bypass conventional cookie management settings and, when combined with device fingerprinting, can build a uniquely identifiable profile of users that is nearly impossible to erase.


The banking sector, among others, has seen the risks of cookie exploitation play out in stark detail. In documented cases between 2019 and 2020, cybercriminals successfully stole session cookies to impersonate users, accessing accounts and draining funds. The response from the financial industry included ramped-up security protocols and increased user education—an acknowledgment that even the most innocuous digital elements can harbour latent threats.


Another high-profile incident involved a series of attacks on cryptocurrency platforms, where stolen session cookies were used to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA). This allowed attackers to infiltrate digital wallets and trading accounts, siphoning off significant sums and eroding trust in the security of such platforms.


To mitigate cookie risks, understanding their dual nature is essential. Users should clear cookies and browser history regularly, use tools to block third-party cookies, stay vigilant against phishing, and use HTTPS sites. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds a defence layer even if session cookies are compromised. Organizations need to educate users, update security protocols, use ‘HttpOnly’ and ‘Secure’ cookie attributes, and promote logging out when accounts are not in use to minimize risks.


Cookies, much like their edible namesakes, can bring comfort and delight or, in the wrong hands, create a mess. While they undoubtedly enrich the online experience when properly managed, their potential misuse calls for vigilance. Users must stay informed, and organizations must continuously bolster cybersecurity to ensure that digital crumbs do not invite unsavoury guests to the table.


(The writer is a cyber security expert and serves as a technical advisor to the Maharashtra government. Views personal.)

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