Tendulkar: 'Sach' an idol

“I don’t watch cricket much but I admire Sachin Tendulkar. I like the way he has conducted himself over the years. He has been such a huge star for so long but has not had a single controversy against his name.” – Boxer Vijender Singh.

No, he hasn’t scored another hundred, neither has he broken another record. He hasn’t announced his retirement from the Test arena either. Oh wait! The Indian team isn’t even playing. Yes, the Aussies are here and the Test squad has been announced. So why Sachin Tendulkar again?

Well, this time it’s not about cricket.

The South African ‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius shocked the world when he shot his girlfriend. The double amputee, who became an inspiration in the world of athletics, has been charged with murder. The 26-year-old stunned everyone with his latest act and a hero, who broke the physical barrier to compete with able-bodied athletes, seems to have displayed the dark side of his personality. His girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, was found dead in his Pretoria home on Thursday. Though the initial reports suggested that Pistorius may have mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder, now, after being charged with murder, Pistorius is stained for life.

Being a hero is tough; being a role model tougher. It’s not easy to live a life under the scanner where every move is publicised and every step is judged. And if you are a celebrity, you are never off the hook, not even for a single moment. Be it the clothes they wear or the cars they drive, the world has now turned into a Big Brother show where someone, somewhere is always watching. His on-field performances make it to the back page, but a sportsperson’s off-field misadventures glorify page one. Breaking News tickers keep flashing and images keep playing on a loop as the viewers consume it with their bowl of pop corn, frequent negative nods and the occasional “ptchhh…”! The internet explodes and suddenly a superhero becomes a human, and we realize that he’s just one of us.

As they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. When our hero falls from grace, all our fairy tales and myths are busted and it confuses us to see the one who said to “never to give up” turn out to be so weak. Recently, there has been a rash of sporting heroes biting the dust. From Tiger Woods to Lance Armstrong and most recently, Oscar Pistorius, all have tumbled like nine pins. A few would argue that what they do on the field is more important than their behaviour off it but when someone becomes an inspiration for a few millions, his “private life” ceases to be private any more. The kids look up to them and the adults find a vent for their failures while a country hopes for a perfect ambassador.

That is exactly why Sachin Tendulkar is one of the most respected sportspersons around the world. People have different opinions of him as a batsman. For some, he is the best ever while others doubt his greatness and call him selfish. But no one would ever dispute his status as a perfect role model for the youngsters. There’s a lot to admire about Sachin Tendulkar – his straight drives, his longevity, his determination, and then there are all the runs. Yet, his simplicity as a human being, despite being scrutinized for more than 20 years, is something that one should take home.

There has been never a dearth of sporting heroes but Tendulkar has a different aura around him. Being up there for so long without a scratch on his name is a remarkable achievement. He personifies every Indian’s dream because in India, everyone wants to be a Tendulkar. Right from very start of his career, he has rested every Indian’s dream on his shoulders and has given joy even in the darkest of hours. Be it dedicating his hundred to the Mumbai attack victims or calling himself “an Indian first” to fend off mindless banter from a certain political section, Sachin Tendulkar’s off-field persona has only added to the achievements that he’s scaled with the willow in hand.

He took on the role of being India’s greatest sporting ambassador at the tender age of 16 and thence has gone on to inspire a generation to play the game. Some made it to the highest level while for those who didn’t, he has been a constant assurance that as long as he’s there, things are possible. On the field, he neither hurls abuses nor shows any unnecessary aggression. Even when the opposition tries to get under his skin, he retorts with a nod of the head and the customary squat. Every sledge has been in vain and every bad decision accepted with an expressionless face. There have hardly been any theatrics on his part throughout his career because he’s always let his bat create all the drama. No wonder he has made a lasting impression on those who grew up watching him. He has had all the fame and money, yet it is his feet-on-the-ground attitude that makes him the richest sporting hero in the world. He serves the nation with a lot of dignity and reminds all of us that “being good ain’t that bad!”

It’s a tough time for sports, and children growing up now will struggle to hang on to their heroes. They shine bright like stars but once you dig deep, one might stumble upon some shocking disclosures. We all need our heroes; we need someone to foster the hope that maybe we can’t, but he can. There are still heroes out there and a few in the making, but finding another Sachin Tendulkar? Well, they don’t make them any more. The 90s kids were fortunate that they found the perfect hero because nowadays, they come with a statutory warning. An update on Facebook summed it up perfectly….

“Maradona, Woods, Armstrong, Pistorius… Makes you wanna idolise Sachin even more now… “