Advising the youngsters to follow Saina Nehwal, Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday said the budding sportspersons to put in hours of practice in order to achieve success at the international level just like Olympic bronze medallist shuttler, says a reort in The Indian Express.
Speaking at an interactive session here, Sachin cited Nehwal's example and said that the shuttler has attained great heights in her chosen field through sheer hardwork and sustained practice. "Young sportspersons should learn from the Olympic bronze medallist (Nehwal) and remain focused on their game to achieve success," Tendulkar said.
The legendary cricketer last month felicitated the ace shuttler for her Olympic feat and gifted her a new BMW car. The session, moderated by cricket journalist Sunandan Lele, was organised by realty firm Amit Enterprises, at a city hotel. Tendulkar is brand ambassador of that firm.
Tendulkar looked in a relaxed mood and answered a wide range of questions from the audience. Asked about the retirement of senior cricketers Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman, he said both had their own unique styles and they were great players.
According to a report in The DNA, Tendulkar maintained that blessings of his guru Ramakant Achrekar, support of his family members and friends helped him in shaping his highly successful career and become mentally strong.
To be questioned by Lele in 2004, when he was suffering from a tennis elbow, was the most difficult period for him, the veteran said. In response to another query by a journalist, the player said mental toughness and composure helped him to remain calm on field and avoid getting into any sort of argument with bowlers or umpires.