MCA felicitates Tendulkar with silver bat
24 May 2001

Exactly seventeen years after he aspired to show his prowess with the willow on the city's historic Wankhede stadium, batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar was felicitated at the same venue at a glittering function in Mumbai on Wednesday night.

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), headed by NCP leader Sharad Pawar presented Tendulkar with a 10 kg silver bat and a cheque of Rs 2.51 lakh to honour him after he was conferred with 'Maharashtra Bhushan' award by the state government and also for completing a record 10,000 runs in one-day internationals.

"It was my dream to don India colours on this very ground when I came here for the first time in 1983 during the West Indies tour", Tendulkar said in an emotionally choked voice.

Pawar announced the naming of the 'Sachin Tendulkar Enclosure', above the MCA pavilion for former and present cricketers and their family members.

Fondly remembering his coach Ramakant Achrekar's contribution in his cricketing career, Tendulkar said "it (his lessons) changed my life. Without him I could not have been where I am today", the 28-year-old batting maestro said.

The 'Wonder Boy' recalled his long association with his favourite ground, where he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai against Gujarat in 1988 and got a hundred.

Tendulkar went on to play the Irani Cup match on the same ground after which he was picked by the selectors for the tour of Pakistan in 1989.

Pawar said renaming of a stand at the Wankhede stadium after Tendulkar would be announced after the monsoon, when the MCA plans to felicitate cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar, who was also awarded with the 'Maharashtra Bhushan' two years ago.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh also announced donating 13 acres of land in suburban Bandra to the MCA for its plan to develop a stadium there. "A letter of intent will be presented to MCA on May 26, 2001", he added. Pawar said the MCA would develop a state-of-the-art stadium within two years of actual possession of the land.

A special souvenir devoted to Tendulkar was brought out on the occasion by the MCA.

Former New Zealand captain and current Indian coach John Wright said Tendulkar's greatness and humility was a great combination. "It is a wonderful and special experience to be associated with a phenomenon called Sachin", Wright said.

Describing Tendulkar as a wonderful person, former Indian captain Ravi Shastri said that his humility, willingness to listen and ability to walk ahead were his strengths. "Let the biggest stand be named after Sachin even at the cost of a sponsor because no one is greater than Sachin."

Those lauding the master blaster's achievements were the grand old man of Mumbai cricket Madhav Mantri, Tendulkar's first first class captain Lalchand Rajput and deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal.

© PTI