Beyond the Bronze: India Needs Perspective, Not Panic

Over the last few days, I have seen several social media posts asking why we are celebrating a bronze medal. The argument is that India were competing at a home World Championship, should have won gold and that celebrating Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand’s bronze is an overreaction.

The same set of people have also castigated India’s hockey teams for their below-par showing at the World Championship and vented their ire on social media. sweetbonanza.qpon

Make no mistake, the men’s hockey team were well below par. In fact, it was a very poor World Championship for the men, and they absolutely need a reset. Having said that, the women’s effort was far better than expected. It is not all doom and gloom.

Coming to badminton, may I say that I am tired of the refrain that a billion people cannot win a gold medal? In fact, the statement is plain rubbish, to say the least.

Sport is not a way of life in India. It is not ingrained in our culture. Of the 1.4 billion people in the country, the vast majority do not have access to basic sporting facilities. Many struggle to put two square meals on the table, and sport ranks far lower in the pecking order for the average Indian.

To paint all these people with the same brush and compare India with Europe, where a much larger proportion of the population has access to sporting facilities, is a non-starter. It misses the wood for the trees and is, at best, a sensationalist statement made for social media optics.

Take women’s singles in badminton. While the focus is on PV Sindhu not winning a medal, the conversation should also be about how well India is placed to potentially dominate women’s singles in the coming years.

Apart from the incredible An Se-young, there has not been a major breakthrough player in women’s singles over the last half a decade. India, with as many as six players in the top 50, therefore has a major opportunity to make its mark on the sport. Each of these players is expected to gain valuable experience over the next two years and could play a major role in the growth of badminton in India.

The future, as Pullela Gopichand said, is bright as far as women’s badminton is concerned. With half a dozen players in the top 50, we can reasonably expect two or more to emerge as breakthrough success stories.

More importantly, we need to see the macro picture. Simply saying ‘1.4 billion people and no gold medal’ is stale. We are not yet a sporting nation, and to assume that we will become one overnight is foolish. Only recently has sport begun receiving adequate support in the country, and it is essential that the country comes together to back its sportspersons rather than constantly harping on the age-old argument about a billion people and too few medals.

Ask the right questions.

Does the men’s hockey team need an overhaul? Should we experiment more? If India win the Asian Games gold and qualify for the LA Olympics, should the following year be used to bring more youngsters into the team?

Instead of seeking likes and retweets, this is how we can make a difference.

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All-rounder Shreyanka Patil, 24, who is not part of India’s squad for the Women’s Asia Cup (Aug 28 – Sept 13) as she’s recovering from a severe ankle, headed out for an evening with her former Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate and friend Raghvi Bist, 21, recently.

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A post shared by Shreyanka Patil (@shreyanka_patil31)

Patil sustained the injury during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in June. On Tuesday, she Instagrammed this picture alongside Bist to her 5.2 million followers. “Just us being us. Just having fun,” she captioned the post, which received over half-a-million ‘likes’.

Batter Bist has played two WT20Is for India in 2024.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 26 (ANI): Lucknow Falcons skipper and renowned India international Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered a vintage new-ball masterclass to lead his team to a comprehensive six-wicket victory over the defending champions, Kashi Rudras.

The Match 20 fixture of the UP T20 League 2026 saw a full 20-over contest at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium despite a delayed start, according to a press release from the UPT20 League.

The victory marks the Lucknow Falcons’ third consecutive win of the season and completes back-to-back victories over the Kashi Rudras in consecutive days.

Opting to bowl first, the Lucknow Falcons applied immense pressure right from the start. Bhuvneshwar Kumar completely dismantled the Kashi Rudras’ top order during the powerplay, striking three times in quick succession to reduce the defending champions to a precarious 28/3.

The Kashi innings struggled to find any momentum following the early collapse. Shubham Chaubey offered the only significant resistance, playing a resilient knock of 46 from 32 deliveries to give his team a fighting chance.

However, pacer Abhinandan Singh returned to rattle the middle and lower order, complementing his captain perfectly. Abhinandan finished with brilliant figures of 3/16, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar set the tone with an exceptional 3/20. The combined bowling effort successfully bundled out the Kashi Rudras for 126 in 19.1 overs.

Chasing 127 for victory, Lucknow Falcons opener Mohammad Saif provided a quick start, scoring a brisk 17 off 8 balls. The momentum momentarily shifted when Kashi bowler Sangam Singh struck twice in quick succession, dismissing Saif and removing Ajeet Verma for a duck.

Unfazed by the early wickets, Himanshu Singh took complete control of the chase. He anchored the innings with a fluent and aggressive 64 off 41 balls, finding the boundary rope nine times and clearing it twice. By the time he departed in the 14th over with the score at 109/3, he had already put the Falcons firmly in the driver’s seat.

A brief rain delay halted play at the end of the 14th over with the Falcons needing just 16 runs from 36 balls. Following the short break, Kritagya Singh contributed a handy 29 before being dismissed. Priyam Garg and wicketkeeper Kaartikaya Singh then comfortably knocked off the remaining runs, completing the chase with 24 balls to spare.

For his spectacular opening spell that broke the back of the Kashi Rudras’ batting lineup, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was adjudged the Player of the Match.

“We were down on the points table when we started, but we have played really well in the last three matches," Bhuvneshwar noted. “It has been very good for us and has helped us move up the table."

Discussing his tactical approach with the new ball, Bhuvneshwar emphasised keeping things simple.

“Overall, it was a good wicket, but there was a little bit of swing. The basic plan was to keep the ball in the right areas and try to challenge the batters with that swing," he explained. “Luckily, it worked. Generally, you don’t get too much movement, maybe for two or three balls, and I got a wicket off a flick as well. It was a good day for me, but overall, it was a great bowling performance from the entire team. To bowl an opposition out for around 125 runs is a fantastic effort."

When asked about his pinpoint use of variations, the seasoned international credited his ability to read the game in real-time.

“I don’t think you can know your variations beforehand. It depends on how the wicket is playing, the conditions, the ground dimensions; everything matters. Generally, the ball can skid on a little better under lights. You have to make those decisions in the moment, and experience helps a lot with that," he said.

Praising the aggressive intent of his opening batters, Bhuvneshwar highlighted how crucial their approach was to securing the win.

“After bowling them out, you naturally want to chase the target quickly," he said.

“The opening partnership, especially Himanshu’s contribution, provided exactly what you need while chasing a low total. Sometimes you think about playing safely for the first six overs and attacking later, but that can create problems. We got the perfect start today, and I cannot complain," he concluded. (ANI)

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