India's Obsession with Cricket Leaves Other Sports Athletes Feeling Overlooked

Are we increasingly becoming sucked into a sporting culture where there is tremendous and unwavering love and regard for cricket, widely recognised as India’s favourite sport but not too much attention comes to rest at other sports and hence the sense of disconsolation that atheletes who excel in other sports feel? Is this a sign of obsession and being a bit of a one track mind that we as fans may be carrying? What else can one even say? Two days after India’s men’s badminton team won a bronze medal at the Thomas Cup, people noticed something unusual. Instead of only celebrating, the players also showed their disappointment. An Instagram story by Satwiksairaj Rankireddy went viral. The picture that went viral over the social media showed the team standing with very little welcome or attention around them. It made many people realise something important: even big achievements don’t always get noticed in India. India has done well in the Thomas Cup before. The team finished on the podium in 1952, 1955, and 1979, and even won the title in 2022. This new bronze medal is also a big achievement. Of that there is little doubt! But when the team came back home, it did not feel special for them. Rankireddy said he usually stays quiet, but this time he felt the need to speak. He said the team was not asking for money or big celebrations. Even a small compliment from a fan, like “You played well,” would have made them happy. The players felt most upset when they landed in India. They were still wearing their team jerseys, but no one recognised them or asked about their win. Rankireddy said people seemed more interested in cricket, politics, and other news. He also said it felt sad that top athletes had to arrange simple things like booking a taxi without any help or recognition. His teammate Chirag Shetty shared the same feeling. He said that people who follow badminton understand how big this achievement is, but most others do not. He believes this shows a bigger problem—that India still needs to grow as a sporting nation, where all sports and athletes are respected and appreciated. Now having said all the above, here is a point for reflection among larger fan bases. What is one to do when the country’s premier championship winning athletes begin to feel that way that adulation and regard tend to only flow Cricket’s way and not an awful lot is reserved to acknowledge the achievements of those who excel in sports like Tennis, Badminton and Squash? Who is to be blamed here? The country’s obsessive cricketing fanbase?