Sachin on teammates’ shoulders greatest sporting moment of last 20 years

BERLIN: It was an unforgettable moment for everyone who witnessed it, and on Tuesday, the lump-in-throat inducing memory of Sachin Tendulkar being carried by his teammates after India won the 2011 World Cup was voted the greatest ‘Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020’ of the last two decades.
The iconic image, titled ‘Carried on the shoulders of a nation’, was declared the winner in a global vote.Sachin became the first Indian to win a Laureus, the most prestigious sporting award in the world.
Fittingly, the Little Master received his award from two other legends -- former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh and tennis great Boris Becker. In an emotional speech, he said, “It’s incredible (to get the award). The feeling of winning the World Cup was beyond what words can express. How many times do you get an event where there are no mixed opinions? Very rarely does the entire country celebrate it. The World Cup win was one such occasion. This is a reminder of how powerful sport is and what magic it brings to our lives. Even now when I watch that moment, I get goosebumps. It has stayed with me.”
Sachin, who won the World Cup in his sixth attempt, was asked by Becker about the emotions he felt after winning the Cup he had “chased for so long”.
“My journey started in 1983 when I was 10 years old. India had won the World Cup for the first time. I did not understand the significance that time; just because everybody was celebrating, I also joined the party. But somewhere I knew something special has happened to the country and I wanted to experience it one day. That is how my journey began. When the 2011 World Cup trophy was in my hand and also the tricolor, it was the proudest moment of my life. Holding that trophy which I had chased for 22 years but I never lost hope, never gave up. I was merely lifting that trophy on behalf of my countrymen.”
Sachin also threw light on the impact Nelson Mandela had on him. Tendulkar was only 19 when he met Mandela during a tour of South Africa. “His (Nelson Mandela) hardship did not affect his leadership. Out of the many messages he left, the most important I felt was that sport has got the power to unite everyone.
“Today, sitting in this room with so many great athletes – some of them did not have everything but they made the best of everything they had. I thank them for inspiring youngsters to pick up a sport of their choice and chase their dreams. This trophy belongs to all of us for having inspired youngsters, it’s not just about me,” said Sachin.
Soon after India clinched victory in the final at the Wankhede Stadium, the team did a lap of the ground. Harbhajan Singh, Virat Kohli, Yusuf Pathan and Yuvraj Singh carried Sachin on their shoulders. Later, Kohli, then barely 23, said, “Sachin Tendulkar has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It was time we carried him."