Sachin Tendulkar waves chequered flag at Indian GP

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, a self-confessed Formula One fan, waved the chequered flag at the end of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, which newly-crowned world champion Sebastian Vettel won at the Buddh International Circuit on Sunday.

Tendulkar, who witnessed the race along with wife Anjali and daughter Sara, did the honours at the end of the race.

Starting from the pole position, Red Bull's Vettel dominated the proceedings and scorched his way to victory with a timing of 1.27:249.

McLaren Mercedes' Jenson Button (1.27:967s) came second while Ferrari's Fernando Alonso (1.28:298) completed the podium standings.

Tendulkar's long-time friend and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, with whom the Indian batsman met before the start of the race, finished fifth.

Force India's Adrian Sutil managed to secure points, finishing ninth after starting from the eighth position on the grid, while his teammate Paul di Resta was 13th.

The lone Indian driver in the fray, Narain Karthikeyan of Hispania finished 17th after starting from the rear of the grid.

Earlier, batting maestro Sachin showed his passion for motorsports by being the first of the high-profile guests to arrive at the circuit in Greater Noida.

"His love for motorsports is well known and I was not surprised to see him three hours before the race time. I went to the gate to welcome him," Sameer Gaur, managing director of Jaypee Sports International, told IANS.

Tendulkar spent a lot of time at the paddocks before going to the VIP lounge area. His meeting with Schumacher was widely anticipated and that was one of the first things he did after arriving.

Tendulkar went to the Mercedes GP team garage and chatted extensively with Schumacher and fellow driver Nico Rosberg. He also introduced his wife Anjali and daughter Sara to Schumacher.

It was Tendulkar's second meeting with seven-time champion Schumacher after 2002, when the German gifted the Indian the keys of a Ferrari.

The Mumbaikar then went ahead to meet F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in the Formula One Management team building where they were joined by Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover and legendary three-time former champion Jackie Stewart.

Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was the second cricketer to reach the venue.

Besides Tendulkar and Harbhajan, Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone were also spotted.

Jammu and Kasmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was spotted in the paddock for the second consecutive day. Robert Vadra was also seen chatting with the organisers.

Earlier in the day, 24 drivers took part in a vintage car rally and waved to the fans to kick off the celebrations.

Sachin Tendulkar arrives at Buddh circuit, meets Schumacher

A self-confessed Formula One fan, Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday met seven-time world champion and ‘dear friend’ Michael Schumacher at the Mercedes team building ahead of this afternoon’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix here.

Tendulkar, who is expected to flag off India’s maiden F1 race, arrived at the newly-constructed Buddh International Circuit with his wife Anjali and daughter Sara. However, his son Arjun was absent.

The star Indian cricketer was received at the circuit by promoters of the race, Jaypee Sports International’s Managing Director Sameer Gaur.

Soon after arriving at the circuit, Tendulkar met F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone at the lounge area for a half hour interaction. The duo was later joined by legendary racing driver Jackie Stewart and Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover.

Tendulkar also obliged the waiting photographers along with Ecclestone, Gaur and Grover but refused to make any comments, saying, “I will talk to everyone later.”

The cricketing icon then headed straight to the Mercedes team building where he exchanged pleasantries with Mercedes team principal Ross brawn before meeting his long-time friend Schumacher.

Tendulkar also introduced his wife and daughter to the German driver and met the other Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg before heading to the VIP area.

Apart from Tendulkar, a host of other celebrities from the sporting world and Bollywood are also expected to attend the country’s maiden F1 race later this afternoon.

Cricketers who are expected during the race include India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, V.V.S. Laxman and England’s Kevin Pietersen. Tennis star Sania Mirza will also attend.

Bollywood will be represented by Shah Rukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Hrithik Roshan, and Abhishek Bachchan among others.

Sachin Tendulkar invited for the inaugural Indian GP‎

Sachin Tendulkar is excited that the high-profile Formula One race is coming to the country with the inaugural Indian Grand Prix next week and said that he will support the Sahara Force India team.

Invited for the Indian GP by formula one boss Bernie Ecclestone, Sachin Tendulkar is mighty thrilled to witness yet another race day.

"I am excited about Indian Grand Prix F1 race. I will support the Force India team. I have friends like Michael Schumacher but I will support Force India because that is the Indian team and country comes first," Tendulkar said.

Tendulkar, who is passionate about fast cars, has been invited by Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone himself to grace the Indian Grand Prix at Greater Noida on October 30.

"I was passionate about cars from a young age. As I grew up, my passion for fast cars has grown," he said.

On which car fascinated him as a child, he said "when I was young I saw these Fiat, Ambassador, at the most Contessa or Standard 2000. But my brother and others would discuss about Pala car."

"So, the car I love to drive was Pala,"

When Sachin Tendulkar was asked in 2004 about the possibility of India hosting a Formula One race in a few years' time, he said, "I hope that it happens because there are plenty of Formula One fans in India. It's a new sport that is picking up very quickly and the new generation is hooked".

Formula One has been one of Tendulkar's best-loved sports for a while, watching it since 2000. He is delighted for his country's sports-loving public that they now have an opportunity to witness the exhilaration which Formula One lends itself to. "What you see on television is far different from what one sees at the venue," said Tendulkar, who has been to quite a few races. "The noise and speed levels are 15 to 20 per cent greater that what one can imagine... it's great," he said.

He witnessed his first Grand Prix at Silverstone while he was on the 2002 tour to England and met German legend Michael Schumacher the evening before Race Day. In fact, it was Schumacher, who presented him with the keys of the Ferrari car, which is now owned by a businessman from Surat.

“The Making of a cricketer”

Sachin Tendulkar can unquestionably be called the 'face of modern cricket'. He follows Don Bradman and Viv Richards as his generation's most successful batsman. By the turn of the century, watching Tendulkar as India's lone warrior staging single-handed fights, - while carrying the hopes of a billion hearts, - was cricket's grandest spectacle. Tendulkar is undoubtedly India’s most loved and worshiped cricketer.
But behind every legend there is a guiding force which leads him to greatness. A support which saw him through tribulations. Someone who was responsible to show him/her the path to success.



In Sachin’s case it was his elder brother Ajit Tendulkar. The cricketer often credits his brother as the one who spotted his talent and encouraged him to pursue the sport. “Ajit has always been my guiding light in cricket. He was the one who spotted my natural ability and honed that. With his help and coaching I have developed into the cricketer that I am. I am still improving and it is still Ajit that I look to for that help," once quoted Sachin while talking about his brother.

Reportedly, the elder brother was interested in cricket himself and also played the sport during his student years. However, he left playing to mentor Sachin’s cricket career.
It is said that Ajit originally channelized Sachin’s attention to cricket to keep him away for mischief.

‘In the early 1980s, on a quiet Sunday afternoon, the Tendulkars - fans of Dev Anand— had gathered in front of the television to watch Guide. Sachin, eleven years old, saw it as a golden opportunity to raid a mango tree in front of the house with his five friends. A little later, on hearing a deafening crash, the Tendulkars rushed out and found that Sachin had fallen from one of the branches and hurt himself badly. Ajit Tendulkar, exasperated with Sachin’s mischievous ways, took him to a park the next morning and asked an elderly gentleman to take care of his “hyperactive” brother and teach him some cricket. The gentleman’s name was Ramakant Achrekar, and the venue, Shivaji Park. Unknown to Ajit, Ramakant and even Sachin, the meeting marked the beginning of the long and illustrious journey of, arguably, India’s greatest cricketer ever.’

It was elder brother Ajit who accompanied The Little Master on his cricketing tours during his formative years. He’s also helped Sachin look after his various endorsements and business interests.
Ajit has also written a book on Sachin’s cricket journey, titled “The Making of a cricketer”.
Even after all these years and all the success and accolades Sachin still discusses every aspect of the game with Ajit, who does not watch his matches.

"He does not watch my matches. I have been told by friends that he goes on a long drive alone, where there is no radio, there is nothing, and he comes back only after the match is over."
"Later, a recording is pulled out and then he and I discuss where improvements can be made in my batting and what mistakes I committed. All this discussion happens then. Because I speak to him every evening and on a daily basis we discuss what sort of preparation should be made for a match and what are the mistakes to be avoided, and this is a habit I have since school cricket and I still use this formula," revealed Sachin in a past interview.

We dedicate this win to Sachin Tendulkar: Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard, Mumbai Indians' biggest impact player, said the team dedicated the Champions League T20 victory to master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who even without playing motivated the team with his sheer presence.

“Sachin Tendulkar has been part of the Mumbai Indians since its inception and the team hasn't managed to win any trophy since then. And now although we've won this one without him being on the field his sheer presence has motivated us all. His advice in the team meetings, listening to his experiences, all that was very vital. We dedicate this victory to Sachin.

The Caribbean all-rounder was pleased to win a trophy with the Mumbai-based team after ending as runners-up twice.

“Yes! finally. We reached the final in IPL 2010 and in the semi-final in the last IPL as well. It feels absolutely fantastic again to reach the final here and go the whole hog.

“What makes this even sweeter is the guys really pulled in their weight and came together. Especially the younger guys really went out there and showed tremendous character and we played as a team.

“The bowlers did a fantastic job for us right through the tournament whereas the batsmen didn't come to the party. But at the end of the day both batsmen and bowlers are a part of the team and the victory belongs to the team,” Pollard said.

Talking about his form in the tournament, Pollard said: “I was pretty inconsistent with the bat, although I did alright with the ball and in the field. There are a certain areas that I need to work on but since the team has won, I cannot complain about my own performance,” he concluded.

Sachin: Genius Unplugged

A new biography on India's iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was launched in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Entitled 'Sachin: Genius unplugged', the book is edited by Suresh Menon, columnist and author, who has known Tendulkar since he reported the player’s debut match in Pakistan.

The essays in the book are by writers who have been reporting and observing Tendulkar’s game, analysing his batting, placing him in context, criticising him over the years. It is a first draft of biography, with the advantage that it is not limited to a single point of view.

This extraordinary work is brought to the avid cricket lover in each of us by NMC and UAE Exchange, and is a tribute to one of the greatest cricketers the world has ever seen.

Tendulkar has made poets of prose writers even if occasionally his strokeplay has demonstrated the futility of conveying in words the brilliance of his batsmanship.

Sachin: Genius Unplugged, brings together writers and contemporaries whose perspectives on the player are unique. Their insights are strained through experience.

Like writers and artists, sportsmen are subject to revisionism, with fresh appraisals adding to the known portrait. A good place to start is the contemporary report.

Every writer has a personal story as well as a measured, professional one, and part of the joy of the book is to read the admission of veteran writers like Mike Coward on how the player figures in his bank accounts, for example.

Harsha Bhogle’s first interview with Sachin, Osman Samiuddin’s discussion with his mathematician father, Barney Ronay’s air-cricket, Peter Roebuck’s comparisons with Viv Richards, Mike Marqusee’s deeply felt personal essay, Gideon Haigh’s take on the commercial value of Tendulkar’s bodily fluids, and personal insights by Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Bishan Bedi, throw light on Tendulkar, on the writers, and on the art of sportswriting itself.

The foreword on the most successful batsman of all time is by the most successful bowler of all times, Muttiah Muralitharan.

It is a treat both for those who read cover-to-cover at one go and readers who love to dip in now and then, savouring the individual essays at leisure.