Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar took oath as member of the Rajya Sabha making it clear that his focus would be on cricket until he quits it .
However, he insisted that he does not want rumours to spread that he has stopped playing cricket for Parliament.
39-year-old Tendulkar took oath as member of the Rajya Sabha in the presence of Chairman Hamid Ansari and Union Ministers Rajiv Shukla, Harish Rawat and V Narayanasamy.
Sachin spoke to reporters after taking the Oath,
"...I am here because of my cricketing career. I cannot take any focus away from my cricket. That is where it all started for me. I will focus on my cricket and as and when I stop playing cricket, I don't know, when I will start attending to other things.
"I don't want rumours to start that I have stopped playing cricket. I will let everyone know when I will stop playing cricket," he said when asked how he would assuage people who raise questions whether he would be able to do justice to the job in Parliament when he is still playing cricket.
"Cricket comes first," Tendulkar told reporters as he and wife Anjali were accompanied by Shukla to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari's chamber.
Tendulkar added it was a great honour for him to be nominated as a Rajya Sabha member by the President.
Tendulkar said the Rajya Sabha nomination has put him in better position to help not only cricket but also other sports in the country.
"See, I am a nominee. So, I didn't go to anyone to say that I want to become a Rajya Sabha member. It is a honor which I accept with full respect but I am here because of my cricketing career," he said.
"Whatever I am today is because of cricket and I strongly believe that. Today, with the nomination as Rajya Sabha member, I think I am in a better position not only to help cricket but also other sports in the country which is really important and means a lot to me. And I will try my best to help other sports," he said.
"I would finally like to say that I will be happy if I am remembered as someone who contributed to all sports in India rather than just my cricket statistics. That would be fantastic," Tendulkar said.
There was so much hype created by media as they telecast-ed live and lots of discussion went on how a person like Sachin will address to public issues.
Can Sachin help and make other sports too recognized ? Can he transform the idea of sports in Indian society ?
He has himself, transformed alot for the game of cricket but again his leadership skills be a hinderence in achieving his target?
Lets wait and watch....Sachin has just started his new innings !!! Being one of his fan I expect that he looks on to the area of developments in the other games right from the start of LONDON OLYMPICS!!!
being a Sachin die-hard fan..this gives mixed reactions :) :( ! Anyways..hope n wish he takes politics to next level too!!
ReplyDeleteBalaaji..Nice effort!! way to go!!
- ur fan
Arun
Yeah Arun, even I felt the same when I composed it but, still for Sachin, this is a new platform and he is not as expressive as his fellow parliamentarians, so there comes the fear...! either others will over shadow him or still he can get his "Straight drive" right.. :) that's lets wait and watch..!
Delete