Sachin Tendulkar to get Bharat Ratna?

The Union home ministry is learnt to have endorsed and forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office a proposal to include sport in the Bharat Ratna category, an administrative process that can culminate in the selection of Sachin Tendulkar for the highest civilian honour.

Till now, the honour has been awarded for "exceptional service towards advancement of art, literature and science, and in recognition of public service of the highest order".

On April 15, sports minister Ajay Maken sent a note to the home ministry recommending the inclusion of sport in the list. P. Chidambaram this week forwarded the letter to the Prime Minister's Office with "positive observations", sources said.

Neither Maken nor Chidambaram has named Tendulkar, but the timing of the sports minister's note ' days after India's World Cup victory ' makes the connection clear.

Maken, a Tendulkar fan, wrote to Chidambaram: "I write to you knowing that you are an ardent sports lover...."

He claimed that sport "singularly surpasses any other idea... as a cohesive force and nurtures our national pride" and helped fight "divisive tendencies".

Although many MPs and fans had demanded that the Bharat Ratna be conferred on Tendulkar, a counter-opinion also exists.

Last year, The Telegraph had said in a leading article that the authorities should not get "carried away by popular sentiment" and confer the Bharat Ratna on Tendulkar. The leading article on March 4, 2010, had asked if sport counted as "a serious enough sphere of achievement".

"...And if it does, should cricket have top priority?" it added, citing how the game was played in a handful of countries and rarely attracted top athletes, who pursued more strenuous games.

The article had acknowledged Tendulkar's fine qualities of batsmanship as well as many records and placed them in context.

Last February, The Telegraph columnist Ashok Mitra had warned that handing the award to Tendulkar might open the floodgates for fans to demand similar honour for, say, the tennis star of the day, or film stars.

"It is a predicament the authorities could face any day now: to decide whether to weigh on the same scale the great nation-builders at one end and the hugely successful, hugely rich professional persons at the other," Mitra wrote. "The only way out is to abandon altogether the Republic Day awards."

Officially, Bharat Ratna recommendations are made by the Prime Minister, Vice-President and the leader of the Opposition, and the President makes the choice.

Sachin replaces Ferrari with a Nissan GTR

We’ve all wondered why did Sachin, a car enthusiast, sell off his Ferrari 360 Modena. However, he has soon found a surrogate for the Ferrari, a Nissan GTR 530. The cost of the new addition to Sachin’s collection of is $87,000 (Rs 40 lakh approx).

Sachin Tendulkar at 2011 Wimbledon

Cricket player Sachin Tendulkar (R) shakes hands with tennis player Roger Federer on Day Six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2011 in London, England

Cricket player Sachin Tendulkar (R) shakes hands with tennis player Roger Federer on Day Six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2011 in London, England..

Cricket player Sachin Tendulkar (R) poses with tennis player Somdev Devvarman on Day Six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2011 in London, England

Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and wife Anjali look on from the Royal Box prior to the third round match between Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia on Day Six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2011 in London, England

Royal box guest cricket player Sachin Tendulkar attends the third round match between Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia on Day Six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2011 in London, England

Former Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, center, talks to Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali prior to the match on centre court at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon on June 25, 2011.

Sachin Tendulkar sells his Ferrari to a Surat businessman

 

The ''360 Modena Ferrari'', which once occupied pride of place in batting icon Sachin Tendulkar's fleet of premium cars, is now a prized possession of a city businessman.

Jayesh Desai, Chairman of Raj Hans group, said he purchased the car a fortnight ago.

"I have bought the 360 Modena Ferrari car directly from Sachin Tendulkar with all legal documents," Desai told PTI, but declined to reveal the price.

"It was my dream to drive a Ferrari and now my dream has come true," Desai, who has a passion for driving luxury cars, said.

The Ferrari, which was presented to Tendulkar by racing legend Michael Schumacher, will be the first racing car in his fleet of luxury vehicles, Desai said, adding that his latest acquisition was a prized possession as it was owned by the batting great.

"Kindly ask me only about the car and nothing about Sachin," he said when asked if he and Tendulkar were friends or had known each other.

The Ferrari had got mired in a controversy in 2003 after it was reported that Tendulkar had requested for a customs duty waiver despite getting it as a gift and not winning it as a prize in a tournament.

In August 2003, the finance ministry had exempted Tendulkar from paying around Rs 1.13 crore (approximately USD 245,000) towards import duty for the vehicle, valued at Rs 75 lakh (approximately USD 162,600).

The car was gifted to him by FIAT, which manufactures the premium Ferrari cars and endorsed by Tendulkar, after the Indian batting legend equalled Don Bradman''s tally of 29 Test centuries.

Ferrari''s Formula One driver Schumacher presented the car on behalf of the company to Tendulkar when the two met in 2002 at Silverstone, England.

Tendulkar has taken a break from cricket after playing in IPL and is away on a vacation in England with family.

Tendulkar never scared me but Lara, Gilchrist did: Shoaib

Colombo, March 19 (PTI): He has had some of the most memorable on-field battles with Sachin Tendulkar but maverick speedster Shoaib Akhtar claims he was never scared to bowl at the legendary batsman. Instead, it was dashing Australian 'keeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist and West Indian legend Brian Lara who "scared the hell" out of him during his 14-year international career.

"Yes, that's true. But that doesn't mean I have no respect for Sachin. He is a legend and will always remain as one. But Sachin would never scare me. Guys like Gilchrist and Lara would scare the hell out of me," Akhtar, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket after the World Cup told espnstar.com in an interview.

Shoaib who played 46 Tests and 163 ODIs for Pakistan was in awe of Lara and Gilchrist. "Gilchrist would simply take me on. Lara was class apart. In fact, I would be so attracted to his persona that I wouldn't know where to bowl. His body-language was just too cool!"

For someone who has been in the news for his off-field activities as well as his on-field exploits feels that had the iconic former Pakistan captain Imran Khan been around during his playing days, things would have been different. "He (Imran) was like a father figure. I have missed him badly. If he would have been there, I would have become a better bowler and a better person, may be," he answered.

Talking about his regular run-ins with the PCB, Akhtar said that it is the system that made an anti-establishment man. "The system made me quite an anti-establishment fellow. Ever since I started playing cricket, I was told that, I wasn't good enough. Whether at the club level or national or international level, I was told I was never good enough. That made me more determined."

"My system refused to swim with the tide. I was exactly the opposite. In spite of this, I have played cricket with my head held high. No one can say I have compromised myself when playing for Pakistan. Have you ever seen that I been linked with match fixing?," he shot back.

Akhtar whose career was start-stop one due to numerous injuries including five major knee surgeries also spoke about playing through pain. "There have been days when five syringes would be inserted on each of my knees to draw out fluid. I would scream with pain because my knees would be swollen like melons and I would feel that someone was ripping off my thigh muscles. But next day, I would go there and fire the ball at close to 150 kmph or more. That's Shoaib Akhtar for you.

"There were two Shoaib Akhtars in me. One that told me to "give up cricket" and the other one that said "conquer the odds". The second one always prevailed. It's because of this today I am playing the World Cup."

He was a touch emotional as he termed his retirement as his second death.

"I am surrounded by some sort of emptiness and sadness. For 20 years, I have fought to play cricket. I fought injuries, I fought against so many things. Now I have decided to leave something I loved. It hurts."

Having got a lot of fame, money and adulation from the game, the star cricketer wants to give something back to the society. In fact, like his idol Imran Khan, Shoaib wants to build a hospital.

"I want to build a hospital in Islamabad. Somewhere in the remote hills where no one can imagine. I will lay the first brick and then God will help me do the rest. My real life begins now, the life away from the spotlight. There are so many things that I want to do now. I want to leave my mark on the common man."

He makes no bones about the fact the he wants to emulate Imran.

"What Imran has done is unimaginable. People call him a cricketer-turned-politician, but I call him a revolutionary, a visionary. When you step in his cancer hospital, you get the feel of what he has done. I want to emulate him."

Tendulkar chases 15,000 test runs, World Cup victory

While many of his contemporaries have retired, Sachin Tendulkar has no intention of applying the brakes on his record-breaking career and instead wants to score 15,000 test runs and win the 2011 World Cup.

"I've given it (retirement) no thought at all," the 36-year-old, who has scored the most runs and hundreds in tests and one-dayers, told the September edition of The Wisden Cricketer magazine.

"I'm good at cricket, so I will play a while longer. I still love the game as much as ever, it is my job but it remains my passion too," added the batsman

Tendulkar, who has aggregated a record 12,773 test runs with 42 hundreds, has seen players such as West Indian Brian Lara and team mates Anil Kumble and Saurav Ganguly hang up their bats but the Mumbai player wants to make sure he can fulfil one of his childhood hero's wishes.

Tendulkar said compatriot Sunil Gavaskar, who was the first to surpass the 10,000-mark in tests, has set him a target.

"I'm not pleased yet with what I have done," said Tendulkar. "Sunil Gavaskar has told me that I have to get to 15,000 runs. He said he would be angry with me, would come and catch me if I didn't.

"I admire him so much and to score that many would be a terrific achievement but that is not the only aim.

"What else? "Winning the (one-day) World Cup in 2011."

HUGE MONEY

He did not agree with concerns that test cricket was on a decline due to the rising popularity of Twenty20, such as the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).

"There is no way test cricket is dying," he said. "Twenty20 cricket is the dessert and you can't survive on that. Who wants to eat only desserts?

However, he cautioned upcoming players to focus on the game.

"Maybe in 10 years, or even now people will pick up cricket bats thinking only about the huge money in Twenty20 cricket," he said.

"Money should just be coincidental. The passion and the desire are the most important things," he said. "I worry about runs, not contracts."

Tendulkar rejected suggestion from former Australia coach John Buchanan that he was losing confidence against short-pitched bowling.

"Maybe he needs to change his opinion," he said. "There must be something very wrong with all the bowlers around the world that they have allowed me to score so many runs."

Scource: Reuters

Tendulkar chases 15,000 test runs, World Cup victory

While many of his contemporaries have retired, Sachin Tendulkar has no intention of applying the brakes on his record-breaking career and instead wants to score 15,000 test runs and win the 2011 World Cup.

"I've given it (retirement) no thought at all," the 36-year-old, who has scored the most runs and hundreds in tests and one-dayers, told the September edition of The Wisden Cricketer magazine.

"I'm good at cricket, so I will play a while longer. I still love the game as much as ever, it is my job but it remains my passion too," added the batsman

Tendulkar, who has aggregated a record 12,773 test runs with 42 hundreds, has seen players such as West Indian Brian Lara and team mates Anil Kumble and Saurav Ganguly hang up their bats but the Mumbai player wants to make sure he can fulfil one of his childhood hero's wishes.

Tendulkar said compatriot Sunil Gavaskar, who was the first to surpass the 10,000-mark in tests, has set him a target.

"I'm not pleased yet with what I have done," said Tendulkar. "Sunil Gavaskar has told me that I have to get to 15,000 runs. He said he would be angry with me, would come and catch me if I didn't.

"I admire him so much and to score that many would be a terrific achievement but that is not the only aim.

"What else? "Winning the (one-day) World Cup in 2011."

HUGE MONEY

He did not agree with concerns that test cricket was on a decline due to the rising popularity of Twenty20, such as the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).

"There is no way test cricket is dying," he said. "Twenty20 cricket is the dessert and you can't survive on that. Who wants to eat only desserts?

However, he cautioned upcoming players to focus on the game.

"Maybe in 10 years, or even now people will pick up cricket bats thinking only about the huge money in Twenty20 cricket," he said.

"Money should just be coincidental. The passion and the desire are the most important things," he said. "I worry about runs, not contracts."

Tendulkar rejected suggestion from former Australia coach John Buchanan that he was losing confidence against short-pitched bowling.

"Maybe he needs to change his opinion," he said. "There must be something very wrong with all the bowlers around the world that they have allowed me to score so many runs."

Scource: Reuters