Sachin Tendulkar is the Pride and Role Model of India

Introducing Sachin Tendulkar

Through this article I want to convey what Sachin Tendulkar means to India. Are you wondering about who is Sachin Tendulkar? Fine, there is no problem at all. It is my privilege and an honour to introduce Sachin to the reader’s community through my writing. Though, I do not know him personally but reading about him and watching him in action has made me his fan. On this basis I would love to introduce Tendulkar to you all.

The full name of Sachin is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. The middle name ‘Ramesh’ is his father’s name. His mother’s name is Rajni Tendulkar. He is an Indian and serving his motherland, India, from the age of sixteen. Now again, you must be wondering about that how did he serve his country, India. Tendulkar is a cricketer. He was spotted by his childhood cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar at the age of twelve and gradually he got noticed by the well known cricketers. Later he played for his hometown, Mumbai in India. Then on, producing some brilliant performances in the domestic cricket fetch him the opportunity to represent his country, India just within four years. Thus at the age of sixteen, Sachin reached from the domestic cricket to the national team and thereafter, representing India in the international cricket tournaments.

A short height person of a middle class family with strong moral values inherited from his father who was a teacher, poet and novelist and his mother. Cricket is the sports with which Sachin is attached very passionately. He is a right handed batsman and a part time bowler for his team. His career as a national cricketer started in 1989 against Pakistan at the age of sixteen. Who knew at the time of his birth on 24^th April, 1973 that he will become a great cricketer?

What Sachin Tendulkar means to India?

Let me go back to the original point for which I have started writing this hub. I wanted to answer the question that what Sachin Tendulkar means to India. I can easily sum up my answer in one statement by highlighting the title of my article ‘Sachin Tendulkar is the pride of India’. Yes, I know this answer will not satiate your hunger to know what Sachin means to India. I will also not feel good about the fact that without letting my readers know that what made Tendulkar, the pride of India and I instantly jumped into a conclusion. Let me open my cards one by one to intimidate you why is Sachin Tendulkar, the pride of India. It is my evaluation that Sachin is the pride of India but many of you may differ. It is quite possible but I would expect you all to analyse my explanation before you out rightly reject my opinion that Sachin Tendulkar is the pride of India.

Reasons that say Sachin is the Pride of India

India has produced many great sportspersons. One such great sportsperson is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Rather, the cricket experts hail him as the greatest cricketer ever in both the formats of cricket: Test and One Day International. Well, this statement may arise some contradictory viewpoints because there is always some comparative studies of the greats are done. Obviously, the fan following will differ in their opinion. Here, there is no point of discussing who is the greatest because I do not have any intention to demean any of the greats in the cricketing world. Why I feel Sachin is the pride of India:

Long Survival in Cricket Team of India

My only intention is to put forward that Sachin is the pride of India. He is thirty eight years old and still going steady with his cricket career. He has unnumbered records behind him and the highlight of his career is all those cricketers who in their own playing time made records after records are/were charmed by the cricketing skill of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. To name a few: Sir Don Bradman, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Kapil Dev, Viv Richards and legion of cricketers. Tendulkar charmed every great cricketer through his performance and all the greats enjoyed each and every moment of his success. Imagine! He has survived twenty two years in the national team without a pause other than the pauses created in his career due to injuries and sometimes because of his personal wish. He has survived in spite of numerous players are/were waiting for a chance in the national team of India. Did he survive on the basis of face value or backing? No, the only reason of such a long survival in this competitive world is his cricketing ability.

Milestone of Milestones

Recently, Sachin Tendulkar achieved a great milestone. In the Asia Cup tournament on 16^TH March, 2012 when India played against Bangladesh, Sachin scored a century and that was a century of centuries. By scoring this century he made a record of hundred centuries in total. After that match he had 51 Test centuries and 49 centuries in One Day Internationals. What a record of making centuries! Getting to a hundred is itself a milestone and getting it for hundred times is a milestone of milestones, isn’t it? Though, India lost the ODI against Bangladesh but whenever there will be a discussion on the milestone achieved during that ODI Sachin’s name will be written in golden letters. Beside him will be his nationality and fortunately India will take pride in him. He is the first cricketer to create this record at least for now no other cricketer is close to this feat. This record seems to be unattainable but what will happen in the future is unpredictable. Still, no one can take the credit of being the first cricketer who achieved the milestone of milestones other than Sachin Tendulkar of India. Don’t you think it makes him the pride of India?

Sense of Responsibility as a Cricketer

After such a huge milestone, Tendulkar gave a statement on taking retirement from cricket which in my opinion makes him the pride of India. He said: “My belief is that if I feel I can contribute, I am mentally there where I feel I am bringing value to the team then I should be playing. It’s a very selfish thought that when you are at the top you should retire. When you are at the top, you should serve the nation. When I feel I am not in a frame of mind to contribute to nation, that’s when I should retire not when somebody says. That’s a selfish statement that one should retire on top.”

Usually, it is said that it is better to retire at the peak of one’s career than being kicked out or dropped from the team. I sincerely agree with the opinion of Sachin on retirement. I believe that a sportsperson must have a sportsman spirit. Success and failure must be taken into one’s stride. Criticism is a part and parcel of any career so failure will definitely invite criticism but just to avoid it one cannot ignore the responsibility towards the country. Failure may come; lack of passion for the career may arise, the body may feel tired or the mind may fail to take the pressure of the game then only one should decide to retire. Else, just to keep one’s prestige intact as a sportsperson it is not worth ignoring one’s duty towards the nation.

Truly a ‘Bharat Ratna’

Tendulkar is the holder of numerous records and unlimited awards. Now, after making century of centuries his fan following in India is demanding India’s highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’ to be conferred upon him. Some political leaders have also seconded this plea. Bharat Ratna is a Hindi word which means the gem of India. Many sportspersons have achieved many milestones and laurels in their respective sports and made India proud but why is this demand of Bharat Ratna award for Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. What is different, special and extra about Sachin?

In India cricket is known to be the religion. It is an extremely popular game in India. People in India quite easily get connected with cricket and the live telecast of the international matches makes this connection more instant. Thus, when a cricketer gives India a tremendous pleasure through winning matches for the nation and on its way to it as the player keeps on making uncountable records then people instantly get attracted towards him. This love, affection and blessings are actually unparallel. Sachin Tendulkar is that cricketer who has touched the hearts of the cricket lovers across the age and as well as cricketing nations. He has achieved many records as the first cricketer of the world and not just the first Indian cricketer to do so. His contribution for the last twenty two years in cricket has placed India at a respectable position in the cricketing world. Conferring ‘Bharat Ratna’ award is a matter of lot many things and so let it be rightly decided by the authorities of India but to me he is truly a Bharat Ratna.

Responsible towards Society

Sachin Tendulkar could have multiplied his income by manifolds if he had accepted the endorsement offer of an alcohol company. Witness the ‘responsible man’ in him. Tendulkar is a famous cricketer and with this tag he becomes a public figure. As an idol of the cricket lovers he felt the need to refuse the offer made by the alcohol company. It is because idols are usually emulated so endorsing alcohol can’t be a very positive message to the society. Not only as a cricketer he contributed for the nation but also contributed to the Indian society as a celebrity. How many sportspersons have forsaken their monetary gain in lieu of social responsibility? Shouldn’t we term Sachin as the pride of India?

Sachin as Cricket God

There are numerous people that have excelled in their career but there are very few who have been named as God for their distinct quality. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is one of them who earned the title of ‘Cricket God’ after his achievements in it. Though, Sachin himself has humbly said: “I’m not God, I’m Sachin”. It is the fans of Sachin Tendulkar and also other cricketing greats who have conferred the title of ‘Cricket God’. Here, I would love to quote a statement given in honour of Sachin by an entrepreneur Mr. Subroto Roy who is the Managing Worker & Chairman of Sahara India Parivar. The statement: “ Congratulating Sachin Tendulkar on this momentous occasion, both for Indian and International Cricket, and wishing that this journey of our very own Master Blaster will go from one impossible feat to another, endlessly. His success as a Cricket God is mainly for the reason that he is a Godly human being.”

He is a cricketer who did not achieve name and fame only due to his excellence in cricket but also because of his good qualities as a human being. Sachin is always appreciated by his teammates and counterparts for both the qualities of his, as a cricketer and a human being. This is one more powerful quality which makes him a pride of India.

Stones converted into milestones

Tendulkar often says, ‘People sometimes throw stones at you and you convert them into milestones’. What an incredible person he is! Sportspersons or other celebrities usually get shattered after a huge humiliation especially when your family or home suffers but Sachin Tendulkar proved it wrong. He took up those humiliations as a challenge and gifted India lots of moments to cherish in the world of cricket. Aha! What a proud moment for India.

Definitely a Pride of India

His parent’s decided to name him Sachin because they were the ardent fans of the great music composer and singer Sachin Dev Burman. They hardly knew that one day their son, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, will justify their selection of the name in such a magnificent way. A name of a great has also instilled in him the strength of greatness. He is a great cricketer and so Sachin Tendulkar by no means is less than a pride of India.