The legendary Indian cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar was lifted on the shoulders of his teammates after their World Cup 2011 triumph and the moment was voted the Laureus best sporting moment in the last two decades. With the backing of Indian cricket fans, Tendulkar got the maximum number of votes to emerge winner on on Monday. His long-term dream came to reality when then Indian skipper, MS Dhoni smacked Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Kulasekara out of the park for a winning six.
The charged-up Indian cricketers lifted Tendulkar on their shoulders and made a lap of honor, a moment etched in the minds of the fans. Former Australian skipper Steve Waugh handed the trophy to Tendulkar after Tennis legend Boris Becker announced the winner at a glittering ceremony.
ALSO READ: Kings XI Punjab To Own The CPL Franchise St Lucia
After receiving the award, Sachin said, “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.”
Becker then asked Tendulkar to share the emotions he felt at that time and the latter mnaged to articulate his feelings regarding the importance of holding the trophy for him.
Tendulkar recalled, “My journey started in 1983 when I was 10 years old. India had won the World Cup. I wanted to experience it one day and that’s how my journey began. 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.”
Sachin also holding the Laureus trophy has also given him great honor and he further explained the impact of the revolutionary South African leader Nelson Mandela had on him. He met him when he was just 19 years old.
ALSO READ: Anushka Sharma Sends Emotional Message For Virat Kohli
The batting legend said, “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. This trophy belongs to all of us, it’s not just about me.”
