West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday described Sachin Tendulkar as a 'golden boy' as the state government and the Cricket Association of Bengal jointly felicitated the senior Indian batsman for completing one hundred international centuries.
The felicitation ceremony was held at the Eden Gardens just ahead of the IPL clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians.
Sports icons are rarely good interviews. They’re usually too conscious about their public image to be truly candid, and tend to speak in bland bromides. So when TIME correspondent Nilanjana Bhowmick and I met with India’s cricket star Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai last month for a magazine profile that will appear in this week’s issue of TIME, we were not expecting much. Although he is known as the ‘Master Blaster’ for his swash-buckling batting, Tendulkar is famously reticent off the field. When he has given interviews, he has tended to steer clear of anything remotely controversial. He’s also been careful to reveal very much about himself, about what goes on in the mind of a man who’s revered by his cricket-crazy countrymen as a kind of divinity.
State Sports Minister Madan Mitra has said that he had got in touch with Tendulkar who readily accepted the request and wrote in a mail that he was looking forward to the occasion.
"It will be a great occasion and we plan to felicitate in a befitting way for his 100th international centuries milestone," Mitra said on Tuesday.
"I'm looking forward to the occasion. I will be honoured to be felicitated at the iconic Eden Gardens by the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee [ Images ])," Mitra quoted Sachin as stating in an e-mail.
Notwithstanding his perfectionist image, Sachin Tendulkar believes that "surrendering" to the subconscious mind while batting can be a good idea.
"It is good to surrender yourself to the subconscious mind (while batting). The conscious mind can sometimes create problems," he said during an interaction with budding cricketers of a local club on Thursday.
President Pratibha Patil's nomination of Sachin Tendulkar to the Rajya Sabha is an extremely heartening decision. It should be welcomed by one and all - the government and the Opposition, the fans of the batting maestro as well as cricket haters, and sports lovers as well as those who don't play ball.
If Sachin's nomination is to be seen through a political lens, it was a masterful straight drive by the government that gave the bowler (read the Opposition) and the fielders (read red-faced critics) absolutely no chance of stopping the ball from crossing the boundary.
A select few fans will get to spend an evening with iconic Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar when he embarks on a worldwide, six-city tour over the next three years as part of FidelisWorld 'Celebration Series'.
"The first Evening with Sachin Tendulkar will take place in Dubai, the headquarters of the FidelisWorld Group," the company, which has interests in sports, entertainment, and media sectors, said in a release. The evening will have Tendulkar sharing personal perspectives on his career in an interactive session with the guests.
Tendulkar will auction some personal memorabilia the proceeds of which will go to charity. He will also be presented with an Outstanding Achievement Award from Wisden India in recognition of his accomplishments as a serial centuriarity.
Sachin Tendulkar didn't duck this "bouncer" - he is headed to the Rajya Sabha and says it is an honour to be nominated.
"This is a bouncer. It's an honour when the President nominates you (to the Rajya Sabha) which also has other greats like Lata didi, Prithviraj Kapoor. When you get nominated because of your contribution in your field, it's an honour. I was excited to be nominated," Sachin Tendulkar said today, hastening to add that he is no politician. "I am not a politician, I am a sportsman. Now I have many responsibilities," he said.
NEW DELHI: A Bharat Ratna might still be a little distant, but cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar will soon be an MP. This will be the first time an active cricketer, rather any sportsperson, has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha. On Thursday, the government nominated Sachin along with veteran actor Rekha and spunky business leader Anu Aga.
Sachin Tendulkar acknowledged the brillant batting effort by the young batsmen of Mumbai Indians as they recorded a stunning four-wicket win over kings XI Punjab in an IPL match on Wednesday.
Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar released a book published on his century of centuries by The Hindu Group of Publications. The function was held at the Mumbai Indians team hotel here on Tuesday.
The book, titled Sachin — Tribute To A Legend, was conceptualised after Tendulkar scored his 100th International century in the Asia Cup against Bangladesh in Mirpur on March 16.
Tendulkar, flanked by Mumbai Indians coach Robin Singh and captain Harbhajan Singh, expressed his gratitude to The Hindu after releasing the book on his 39th birthday.
President Pratibha Patil's nomination of Sachin Tendulkar to the Rajya Sabha is an extremely heartening decision. It should be welcomed by one and all - the government and the Opposition, the fans of the batting maestro as well as cricket haters, and sports lovers as well as those who don't play ball.
Sachin Tendulkar didn't duck this "bouncer" - he is headed to the Rajya Sabha and says it is an honour to be nominated.
Sachin Tendulkar acknowledged the brillant batting effort by the young batsmen of Mumbai Indians as they recorded a stunning four-wicket win over kings XI Punjab in an IPL match on Wednesday.
