Sachin Tendulkar Birth DayTendulkar has mostly celebrated his birthdays in a quiet manner and away from the public eye over the years. On the eve of his 38th birthday too, the Little Maestro chose to make the occasion special in his own way by fulfilling the wishes of physically challenged soldiers based in Pune on Friday.
Special on Sachin's 38th B'day: Sachin@38
Since his cricketing commitments made it impossible for Tendulkar to meet them personally, he interacted with the soldiers undergoing rehabilitation at the paraplegic centre in Pune's Khadki cantonment via a video-conference which was lively and invoked lots of laughter.
Sachin Tendulkar is not known to throw big birthday parties. Instead, he likes to keep it low-key, preferring to spend time with family and friends. However, ever since the advent of the IPL, Tendulkar's birthday has become one of the most important events to watch out for during the Twenty20 gala.
But Tendulkar, the Good Samaritan that he is, chose to celebrate his 38th birthday three days in advance (on Thursday) in a special manner, by interacting with inmates of the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre, a place for the medically boarded out defence personnel, in Kirkee (Pune).
In a video conferencing session, Tendulkar, an honorary Group Captain of the Indian Air Force, was supposed to field questions from wheelchair-bound brave men. However, he started the session by asking the group, “From where do you generate such tremendous courage while on the border?”
Once the former servicemen were at ease, they opened up, asking Sachin everything about his life, including his passion for tennis, the World Cup triumph and his favourite holiday destination. Tendulkar candidly replied all their queries, making it a memorable affair for the 60-odd personnel at the event.
“I've been to Dehradun only twice, but the news channels keep on showing the same footage again and again, making me revisit the place all the time,” Tendulkar said jokingly. “But yes, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I enjoyed the long walks. In Mumbai, I can't go for a stroll, so I just loved it in Dehradun.” Asked about his fondness for racquet sport, Tendulkar said, “I was crazy for cricket and tennis during my childhood. Eventually, I chose cricket and I don't think it has turned out to be a bad decision.”
As he was about to sign off after cutting the cake, he promised to play TT and basketball with the servicemen. Now, can there be a better birthday resolution than that?
Sachin offers help to Para-archer
Pune: If you are an Indian para-athlete, it is difficult to raise money to participate in national and international events. As a result, Amol Boriwale, a para-archer who was in danger of missing out on competing in next month’s Asian para-archery Championship in Bangkok, was left with no option but to seek help from Tendulkar.
Boriwale, an armyman, has emerged as one of the best para-archers in the country.
However he was told that he will have to bear expenses of around Rs 1.5 lakh if he is to participate.
Boriwale appealed for help during the maestro’s video interaction with the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre inmates.
Tendulkar not only offered help but also asked him questions about his routine and training. “I am speaking on behalf of the Indian team. You just let us know how we can help you and we will be there for you.”
