Every once in a while, you know that there is something special happening right in front of you. You will know this if you have seen Yuvraj Singh going on a rampage and scoring 6 sixes in an over.
Every once in a while, you realize that you are seeing something historic happening right in front of you. You will know this when if you saw Barrack Obama taking oath as the President of The United States of America.
And very rarely do you realize that there is something extraordinary happening and by the time you do that you might have missed it. 24 years was a long time to miss but when the little man just over 5' 5" walked back to the pavilion at the Wankhede for possibly the last time in the history of the world, you knew you had missed it. You knew you would do anything to go back and watch it all over again.
Fists pumping, The Rawalpindi Express steamed in and bowled a bouncer at a 100mph. At the striker's end, the little man hardly moved and only at the last moment, there was a little magical flick. The ball was over the boundary. Some of the greatest bowlers of the world have fallen, but the greatness of an individual is not about how many people he can defeat but the amount of joy he can provide by that victory. There have been a million sixes in the history of the game, but look back and you will realize that the 300 odd sixes by Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar gave more joy than any other.
He might be "just" a cricketer and cricket might "just" be a game, but Sachin Tendulkar put Indian on the map in terms of sports. Yes, there are others too. But it is not everyday that you have an Indian sportsman acknowledged at the Wimbledon. It is not every day that an Indian sportsman gets a standing ovation from a foreign crowd (read England, Australia). When you have somebody who has carried the hopes of a nation for 24 years, you know you have been endowed with a blessing.
In a country that is crippled with third world problems such as poverty and infanticide, there is always an argument that there is too much attention being given to an individual's retirement. But, really? Here is a man whose century gave joy and hope to an entire country. Stories such as that of Sachin are not only magical, but also gives hope to millions that fairy tales are not just in the books. A little boy from a middle class family in Mumbai can grow to be an icon who is almost worshiped. In my opinion, this talent and this contribution needs to be celebrated. Yes, he might have made money. Yes, he might be selfish. But who cares? He is India's pride and that needs to be celebrated. He is the flower that grows out from the pavement. It is his time to shine.
We don't have money for tackling poverty, why spend on Sachin? I have heard this a lot. Yes, you need to spend on poverty. Why are we not spending currently? Because all the damn money is locked up in somebody's pockets. To tackle poverty, will you stop music and art? Sachin can never cure poverty, but his victory gives joy and happiness to the people of a country desperately looking for things to be proud about. Every run scored, every victory achieved is a symbolic step forward for a country's sport and that is an achievement for the country. Its like asking, "how will going to the moon solve poverty?". Every step taken in any field is a proud moment for the country and needs to be celebrated. It is a different story that a country like India has other problems which prevent the money flowing down to the right places.
It has been 24years and it has passed us by in the blink of an eye. It is time to celebrate, for we may never get another chance to acknowledge the magical journey we have all been a part of. I have spent days trying to find the right words, but I cannot find anything else but "Thank you". Thank you Sachin, you have been among India's greatest possessions and we are proud of it. #ThankYouSachin
Every once in a while, you realize that you are seeing something historic happening right in front of you. You will know this when if you saw Barrack Obama taking oath as the President of The United States of America.
And very rarely do you realize that there is something extraordinary happening and by the time you do that you might have missed it. 24 years was a long time to miss but when the little man just over 5' 5" walked back to the pavilion at the Wankhede for possibly the last time in the history of the world, you knew you had missed it. You knew you would do anything to go back and watch it all over again.
Fists pumping, The Rawalpindi Express steamed in and bowled a bouncer at a 100mph. At the striker's end, the little man hardly moved and only at the last moment, there was a little magical flick. The ball was over the boundary. Some of the greatest bowlers of the world have fallen, but the greatness of an individual is not about how many people he can defeat but the amount of joy he can provide by that victory. There have been a million sixes in the history of the game, but look back and you will realize that the 300 odd sixes by Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar gave more joy than any other.
He might be "just" a cricketer and cricket might "just" be a game, but Sachin Tendulkar put Indian on the map in terms of sports. Yes, there are others too. But it is not everyday that you have an Indian sportsman acknowledged at the Wimbledon. It is not every day that an Indian sportsman gets a standing ovation from a foreign crowd (read England, Australia). When you have somebody who has carried the hopes of a nation for 24 years, you know you have been endowed with a blessing.
In a country that is crippled with third world problems such as poverty and infanticide, there is always an argument that there is too much attention being given to an individual's retirement. But, really? Here is a man whose century gave joy and hope to an entire country. Stories such as that of Sachin are not only magical, but also gives hope to millions that fairy tales are not just in the books. A little boy from a middle class family in Mumbai can grow to be an icon who is almost worshiped. In my opinion, this talent and this contribution needs to be celebrated. Yes, he might have made money. Yes, he might be selfish. But who cares? He is India's pride and that needs to be celebrated. He is the flower that grows out from the pavement. It is his time to shine.
We don't have money for tackling poverty, why spend on Sachin? I have heard this a lot. Yes, you need to spend on poverty. Why are we not spending currently? Because all the damn money is locked up in somebody's pockets. To tackle poverty, will you stop music and art? Sachin can never cure poverty, but his victory gives joy and happiness to the people of a country desperately looking for things to be proud about. Every run scored, every victory achieved is a symbolic step forward for a country's sport and that is an achievement for the country. Its like asking, "how will going to the moon solve poverty?". Every step taken in any field is a proud moment for the country and needs to be celebrated. It is a different story that a country like India has other problems which prevent the money flowing down to the right places.
It has been 24years and it has passed us by in the blink of an eye. It is time to celebrate, for we may never get another chance to acknowledge the magical journey we have all been a part of. I have spent days trying to find the right words, but I cannot find anything else but "Thank you". Thank you Sachin, you have been among India's greatest possessions and we are proud of it. #ThankYouSachin
