Was merely lifting World Cup on behalf of the country, admits Sachin Tendulkar

Was merely lifting World Cup on behalf of the country, admits Sachin Tendulkar

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Sachin Tendulkar used his time after receiving the Laureus award for the best sporting moment in the last 20 years to reveal that he was merely lifting the World Cup on his countrymen's behalf. The Indian cricket legend was handed over the trophy by former Australian skipper Steve Waugh. 

Nobody in the cricketing fraternity will ever forget the scenes that followed after India’s World Cup win in 2011. Tendulkar was lifted on shoulders by teammates Virat Kohli, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh and others, as the team took a lap of honour at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai after beating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final. And that’s the moment, Tennis legend Boris Becker announced, that was chosen as the best sporting moment over the last two decades.

“It’s incredible. The feeling of winning the world cup was beyond what words can express. How many times you get an event happening where there are no mixed opinions. Very rarely the entire country celebrates. And this is a reminder of how powerful a sport is and what magic it does to our lives. Even now when I watch that it has stayed with me,” Tendulkar said after receiving the trophy, reported The Indian Express.

“It was the proudest moment of my life, holding that trophy which I chased for 22 years but I never lost hope. I was merely lifting that trophy on behalf of my countrymen,” Tendulkar said.

Having been asked by the German tennis legend to share his emotions, Tendulkar also mentioned the impact South African leader Nelson Mandela had on him. Tendulkar fondly remembered the time he met the revolutionary leader when he was 19 years old.

“His hardship did not affect his leadership. Out of many messages he left, the most important I felt was that sport has got the power to unite everyone. Today sitting in this room with so many athletes, some of them did not have everything but they made the best of everything they had. I thank them for inspiring youngsters to pick a sport of their choice and chase their dreams. This trophy belongs to all of us, it’s not just about me,” Tendulkar added.

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