Kolkata: Legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday urged that the youngsters of the country should know the history of Indian sport and most importantly they should recognize the Indian sporting icons both living or dead.
Sachin was present at the inauguration of a sports museum in the city of joy. The former Indian skipper said it is great to have a museum that shelters all the valuable items on sports and not just cricket goods.
“I have been to couple of museums to do with cricket. (Sir Donald) Bradman museum in Australia, and MCC at Lord’s. But both are cricket museums,” Tendulkar told a packed audience.
“This has got so many different things. You’ve got tennis, Usain Bolt is there and Roger Federer and not just cricket.
“Experience to be here makes it complete. I would like as many youngsters to go there and understand the history of sport.
Mainly Indian sport because I think it is extremely important to know our Indian sporting heroes.
“We have had so many world class sportsmen. Some of them are not alive but have brought laurels to our nation in the form of medals. We cannot forget them. They are not alive and in front of us. But they should be in our minds. And this will help to keep them in our minds and get motivated and inspired,” Tendulkar, who has played 200 Tests for India amassing 15,921 runs, said.
He further added, “I would like as many youngsters to understand sporting history. we have had so many spoting stars who are no more alive but have brought laurels for us. We can’t forget them they r not in front of us but should be in our minds. I want youngsters to lead a different lifestyle. indians are not active enough, they prefer to be on their sofa. So to look after yourself, when it comes to dining table,we don’t mind eating one extra paratha, spend those extra minutes in burning calories. this museum is not only for Kolkata but for India.
India’s only individual gold medal winner Abhinav Bindra said, “It looks and feels like lusanne (museum).I am impressed by the collection which has a lot of depth. We need people to come on a holiday and see some sort of sporting activity.
Bindra has given two of his artifacts on Sunday.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said, “Boria always talks about history. it was great to see that he has put it up all together. more than all this, It’s important to have the interest. This sort of initiative is important to keep it going. It’s in the appropriate place.”
The museum, a 6,700 sq ft area sheltering memorabilia of sporting icons has Brazilian football legend Pele’s 1970 World Cup winning shirt, the 2010 FIFA World Cup match ball, India’s first Test cricket captain C.K.Nayudu’s Allahabad bank passbook with a bank balance of Rs 346, chess ace Viswanathan Anand’s used board personally signed by him among others.
Besides Tendulkar, former India captain Sourav Ganguly, India’s only Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, 2016 Rio Paralympics silver medal winner in Shot Put Deepa Malik and and two-time Paralympics gold medal winner javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia were also present.