Sachin Tendulkar

MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar in Forbes list of richest athletes

2012-06-19T06:25:00.001-07:00

New Delhi: India's cricket captain MS Dhoni might not have enjoyed much success on the cricket ground in the last ten months, but he certainly is among the highest paid sportspersons of the world, according to the Forbes list of 100 highest paid athletes.

Dhoni, who is ranked 31, is way ahead of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar in the list, who is ranked 78 in the list released by Forbes magazine on Monday.

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. tops the list for making $85 million off two fights last year, is serving a three-month jail sentence for domestic battery in Las Vegas, having failed in a bid to serve the remainder of his time under house arrest.

While his doctors and co-manager warned that staying behind bars might cause irreparable damage to his fitness and risk his boxing career, the undefeated US fighter is expected to climb back into the ring, likely later this year.

But Mayweather will not be fighting Filipino icon Pacquiao in the mega-bout that boxing fans have sought for years.

Pacquiao, second on the list at $62 million from earnings and endorsements, lost to unbeaten US fighter Tim Bradley on July 9 and they are set to fight a rematch in November.

Tiger Woods, who had topped the Forbes list since 2001, fell to third this time with $59.4 million, his earnings off $16 million from the previous year and by half since his peak in 2009, mostly due to lost endorsement deals.

It was in 2009 that Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus, saw a sex scandal erupt that caused him to start his 2010 season late and 2011 saw Woods nagged by injuries.

Woods went on a 17-month win drought until he won last March at Bay Hill in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He followed up with a victory earlier this month at the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial but has not won a major since the 2008 US Open.

Miami Heat star LeBron James ranks fourth at $53 million, the highest of 13 basketball players and on the list. The Heat are playing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals as James seeks his first league crown.

While a lockout last year trimmed 20 percent off his salary, endorsement deals boosted his total and a marketing partnership made him a stakeholder in English Premier League football side Liverpool.

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer was fifth at $52.7 million followed by NBA star Kobe Bryant at $52.3 million, US golfer Phil Mickelson at $47.8 million, English football star David Beckham of the Los Angeles Galaxy at $46 million and Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo at $42.5 million, with the top annual salary of any athlete in any league at $20 million.

American football boasts 30 players on the list, topped by No. 10 Peyton Manning, the former Indianapolis Colts star who was cut in March and signed with the Denver Broncos for $96 million over six years.

Manning's $42.4 million ranks 10th overall and he continues to be the top endorsement pitchman among gridiron stars.

In total, the top 100 made $2.6 billion.

Only two women, both tennis players, cracked the list -- Russian star Maria Sharapova, the newest career Grand Slam winner after her French Open final triumph earlier this month, and China's Li Na, the 2011 French Open champion.

Sharapova was 26th at $27.9 million, thanks in great measure to huge global endorsement totals as well as $5.9 million in prize money over the past year.

Li was 81st overall at $18.4 million, with seven new endorsement deals after becoming the first Asian-born player to win a Grand Slam singles crown.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the reigning 100 - and 200-meter Olympic champion and world record-holder who figures to be a top attraction at the London Olympics, was 63rd with $20.3 million.

(With AFP inputs)

NDTV. (2012). Richest athlete. Available: http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/item/192104-ms-dhoni-sachin-tendulkar-in-forbes-list-of-highest-paid-athletes. Last accessed 19/06/2012.

Emotional Chennai ton tops Tendulkar's list

2012-06-16T15:35:00.001-07:00

The day Rahul Dravid retired, he was asked to look back on a long career and name his best innings. "It's like asking to choose between my sons," said Dravid, listing several memorable knocks but declining to pick just one. This is something you expect when someone has built a large and impressive body of work in a span extending well over a decade. And that is why it came as a surprise when Sachin Tendulkar pin-pointed one of his hundred international centuries as hisfavourite.

Tendulkar, who was more relaxed and forthcoming than we've seen throughout his career, opened his heart out to those who had gathered in Dubai for the first of six dinners with him hosted by FidelisWorld. The 350-plus fans lost interest in the finewine and food on offer, thanks to the nuggets Tendulkar so liberally dropped in an interaction with Alan Wilkins, the former Glamorgan seamer who now works in the media.

"It's got to be, from a cricketing point of view, Perth in 1992," Tendulkar began, referring, of course, to the time when he, as a 19-year-old, was up against a formidable Australian attack that included a red-hot Mike Whitney, who picked up 11 wickets in the Test.

Although India lost comfortably, Tendulkar lit up the Western Australia Cricket Association ground with 114 in an innings where the next highest score was 43 from Kiran More at No. 10.

Tendulkar conceded that he learnt many new words in the course of that knock, being sledged mercilessly by an expert Aussie unit.

But, while the Perth innings was incomparable from a purely cricketing perspective, the knock which means the most to Tendulkar is another one. "The one that is really important to me is the hundred I scored against England in Chennai. We all know what happened in Mumbai in 2008," began Tendulkar, referring to the simultaneous attacks on the Taj Mahal Hotel and other locations that left 164 dead and at least 308 injured. "The entire nation was dumbfounded and didn't know how to react. England went home from the ODIs and gracefully returned to play the Test series. For three and a half days, England dominated. Zaheer picked up key wickets on the fourth afternoon and Sehwag and Gambhir gave us a great start."

On the final day, it was Tendulkar who closed the game out, striking the winning runs and reaching his hundred in the same stroke, ending unbeaten on 103. "We were in a terrific position to chase 387. The next morning, I had a great partnership with Yuvraj, who batted brilliantly," said Tendulkar. "Normally, you have groundsmen running on to congratulate you, but for the first time in my career, I saw a groundswoman jumping with joy. That had never happened before. It showed the emotion of that moment, the way people reacted. By winning that Test, if we were able to help people who lostloved ones think differently for a fraction of a second, it was a great achievement by the Indian team."

While Tendulkar did not say so, the innings also put to rest the misplaced claim that he did not win matches for India. Batting at No. 4, it's unlikely that someone would still be at the crease at the end of a match, even if he executed his role perfectly. That run chase, however, was a once-in-a-lifetime situation, and now we know that even Tendulkar places it above all else.

NDTV. (2012). Emotional Chennai ton tops Tendulkar's list. Available: http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/item/191722-emotional-chennai-ton-tops-tendulkars-list. Last accessed 16/06/2012.

Wisden India award for Sachin Tendulkar -Dubai

2012-06-12T01:21:00.002-07:00

In a glittering ceremony in Dubai on Saturday night, Sachin Tendulkar became the first recipient of the Wisden India Outstanding Achievement award. He was presented with a beautifully designed trophy at the first of six special dinners that will be held across the world.

In Dubai, not far from the stadium where he played one of his most memorable innings, the Desert Storm that overwhelmed Shane Warne and Australia at Sharjah in 1998, Tendulkar was at his candid best, answering an array of questions from Alan Wilkins, the former Glamorgan bowler who is now one of the faces of ESPN-Star Sports in Asia.

The event was organised by FidelisWorld, and Anand Krishnan, its executive chairman, welcomed Tendulkar to the dinner before presenting him with the trophy. Made from crystal, it features a cricket ball resting on the open pages of a book. The 49 One-Day International centuries that Tendulkar has made are listed on one side, and his 51 Test hundreds on the other.

In addition to Wisden India, FidelisWorld is also the driving force behind United Sikkim Football Club, whose rapid rise to the first division of the I-League has been one of heartwarming stories in India’s otherwise depressing football landscape. Baichung Bhutia, who went back to his roots to captain and mentor United Sikkim, was also in Dubai and led the applause as Tendulkar spoke openly of the pressures he had to deal with in the days and months leading up to his 100th international century.

The black-tie event, which featured stand-up comedy, a sit-down dinner and a silent auction for some Tendulkar memorabilia, was the first of its kind and a relaxed Tendulkar spoke of subjects as diverse as his favourite innings, the matchwinning fourth-innings hundred against England at Chennai in December 2008, balancing play and personal life, and the influence that his late father had in shaping his career.

The Celebration Series will comprise five more such dinners over the next three years. It gives fans an opportunity to meet the master, interact with him and listen to him talk about the joys, tribulations and twists in what has been an unparalleled career. Singapore is likely to host the next one.

NDTV. (2012). Wisden India award for Sachin Tendulkar. Available: http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/item/191662-wisden-india-award-for-sachin-tendulkar. Last accessed 12/06/2012.

Sachin about Cricket and Family

2012-06-10T16:00:00.003-07:00

He has hundred international hundreds to his name but among all of them Sachin Tendulkar ranks his century against England in Chennai in 2008 as his personal favourite because it came after the Mumbai terror attacks.

At the first event of the Celebration Series called 'An Evening with Sachin Tendulkar', the Master Blaster said: "Personal favourite is the 100 vs England three years ago in Chennai because it came after the Mumbai attacks."

The Test against England in Chennai was the first cricket match India had played after the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 which had left the entire country grief-stricken. His unbeaten 103 was a match-winning knock which he had dedicated to the Mumbai terror victims.

The prolific batsman, however, said his century at Perth in 1992 was also among his favourites from the cricket point of view.

The Celebration Series has been launched by the FidelisWorld Group, a new entrant to the sports, entertainment, and media sectors. Sachin was also awarded the Wisden India trophy for his hundred hundreds.

Sachin shared his childhood memories with the guests present at the event. He revealed that he wanted to be like tennis legend John McEnroe. "I wanted to be like John McEnroe. I used to walk with headbands and wrist bands. So that people call me John McEnroe. But that didn't happen so I picked up a cricket bat."

Apart from his tennis idol, the master batsman, who recently became a member of Rajya Sabha, also talked about his inspiration in cricket. "I grew up watching Sunil Gavaskar and he was all the way my idol. Then I started watching Sir Viv Richards and was fascinated by him. So when I played in the nets and played a wrong shot my brother told me Gavaskar would never do that."

When asked if he remembered his debut against Pakistan and what kept him going when a Waqar Younis delivery left him with a bleeding nose, Sachin said: "It taught me it can't get worse, so if I can face this, I can play international cricket."

Sachin also spoke about his next series against England, where he played a series-winning role. When asked if the sledging by the English players distracted him, he said: "I was just 16, I was not supposed to understand what they were saying."

Sachin, who holds the records of most number of runs in ODIs and Test cricket, has been carrying the hopes of a billion cricket-crazy fans for almost 23 years now. But the legendary cricketer has a very positive approach to the expectations of his fans. "It's good that people expect things out of you otherwise it can get boring. But I don't feel people are putting pressure on me. In fact I feel they are with me."

"There have been tough times too. You can't have a path without speed breakers. But all you need to do is change gears. My family has helped me during rough times. My wife Anjali, my brother Ajit have helped me cope up because I can open up with them," he added.

Despite all the success and adulation, Sachin has remained grounded and for that he credits his father Late Ramesh Tendulkar. "Whatever I am today is because of him. When I got success at such a young age he told me - success can fade away, the only thing that remains is your personality. So be a good human. That has always remained with me."

Sachin also spoke about his teammate Yuvraj Singh, who recently completed his treatment for a rare germ cell cancer and is working his way back to cricket. "I spoke to Yuvraj a couple of days ago. He is shaping up well. Continue to pray for him," he said.

Source :NDTV. (Friday, 08 June 2012 ). Sachin Tendulkar. Available http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/item/191566-sachin-tendulkar-on-his-cricket-family . Last accessed 10/06/2012

Surprisingly :Sachin Tendulkar's Delhi home next to Rahul Gandhi

2012-06-08T10:23:00.002-07:00

The famous people becomes more in the hood in one battle. Sachin and Rahul Gandhi's house are situated at same lane called Tughlaq. Rahul lives at house number 12 and sachin has been allotted a lucky number five.

The important point which need to be focused that along with sachin, Rekha as an actress and Anu Aga is an industrialist are allowed to allot VII type of bungalows which is generally entitled to ministers of state or junior ministers.

Mr Tendulkar has VVIP status also merits high security thus, Tughlaq Lane is well-guarded on account of Mr Gandhi and many other national minister who lives there.

New house + car - We are happy for his progress.

2012-06-08T08:23:00.002-07:00

MP Sachin Tendulkar gets five-bedroom house in Delhi, two escort cars (source :www.Ndtv.com/india)

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has been offered a free five-bedroom house in the centre of New Delhi as a perk of his new post as a member of parliament, reports said on Friday.

Tendulkar, already a multi-millionaire due to his sporting success and lucrative sponsorship deals, was sworn into the upper house earlier this week, claiming a seat reserved for distinguished figures in Indian public life.

He has been offered a colonial-era bungalow with large lawns on one of the smartest streets in the capital, the Press Trust of India agency reported, adding he would be provided with 24-hour security and two escort vehicles.

"He has been allotted (a) bungalow allotted mostly to ministers and senior MPs," an unnamed official told the Times of India on Friday, though he said it was unclear whether Tendulkar would accept the free accommodation.

The paper said the house had five bedrooms and would be renovated before the next parliamentary session begins in about one month.sachin is worshipped by millions of avid cricket fans across India, is the first active sportsman to be nominated for the upper house.

The appointment attracted some criticism from the press and opposition lawmakers who described it as a crass populist move by a struggling government.

Tendulkar, 39, no longer plays international Twenty20 cricket but is still one of the world's leading one-day international and Test match players and competed in the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

He has previously been careful to steer clear of politics and when he was sworn in on Monday he said that he would continue to concentrate on his playing career.

Source :NDTV. (Friday, 08 June 2012 ). Sachin tendulkar. Available: http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sachin/news/item/191479-mp-sachin-tendulkar-gets-five-bedroom-house-in-delhi-two-escort-cars?pfrom=home-otherstories. Last accessed 08/06/2012.