Tendulkar proves that you never become bigger than your guru
Tendulkar proves that you never become bigger than your guru
Organizers of a recent under-12 cricket tournament at the Indian Gymkhana in Matunga did not get their hopes too high when they requested a busy Tendulkar to make an appearance to watch the final last Saturday. The final featured his 10-year-old son Arjun, who played for MIG Cricket Club against Vasai Cricket Club.
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| Gen Next: Captain Prithvi Shaw (left) and vice-captain Arjun Tendulkar (right) hold the Indian Gymkhana under-12 winner's trophy as Sachin Tendulkar and Ramakant Achrekar look on at Matunga on Saturday |
To the organisers' surprise, the batting maestro arrived well ahead of the prize distribution function to be presided by his coach Achrekar. According to Indian Gymkhana's enduring torchbearer K Satyamurthy, Tendulkar refused to budge before Achrekar arrived, saying, "let my guru come."
"Considering his schedule, there was only 30 per cent chances of him coming. I was touched by the man's manners. Achrekar arrived at 4 pm and Sachin escorted him to the presentation area. When Arjun saw him, there were no dramas. 'Hi Papa' was all the kid said," said Satyamurthy, who has served Indian Gymkhana as player and administrator.
Arjun won a prize for the biggest six of the tournament, hit during an earlier match and Sachin was keen to learn about the kind of elevation the ball got. When someone spoke in terms of "floors", the cricketing great was chuffed.
"When Arjun arrived to collect his prize, Sachin asked him to touch Achrekar's feet," informed Satyamurthy.
Probably, the finest part of the evening was when Sachin delivered a little speech, which according to Satyamurthy, went like this: "The winners (MIG CC) must try and retain their honour and to the losers (Vasai CC), it's not the end of the world if you lose one tournament. You should try and win next time. Always play the game sportingly; respect the umpire's decision. Remember, there is a God up there watching, so play the game in the right spirit."
Sachin Tendulkar does not have to play a ball to inspire a group.
