Para athletes are real life heroes: Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has called on the country to wholeheartedly support the Indian athletes taking part in the Tokyo Paralympics and termed them "real life heroes".

The Games are starting from Tuesday. "It is time for the Paralympics and I would like to appeal to all Indians to get behind our contingent of 54 athletes in Tokyo," Tendulkar said in a statement on Monday.

According to Tendulkar, the journey of para athletes is an "eye-opener" to common people that what one can do with passion and determination.

"I have always believed that these women and men are not athletes with special abilities. Rather, they are women and men of extraordinary ability who are all real life heroes for each one of us. Their journeys are an eye-opener to what women and men can do with passion, commitment and determination and serve as inspiration for every one of us."

Tendulkar said it was important to celebrate every athlete irrespective of the results. "I have always believed that if we can celebrate our Paralympic athletes in the very same manner that we celebrate our Olympic heroes and our cricketers, we can become a better society. And it is not simply about the medal winners. Not every athlete among the 54 participating in the Paralympics will win a medal. However, it is important we celebrate them all."

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