Shanghai: Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar was today inducted as one of the five new members into the prestigious Laureus Sports Academy in a glittering annual award ceremony at the Shanghai Grand theatre here.
“It is a huge honour standing here, being a new member of the Laureus Academy. I never thought that guys whom I watched growing up, I will be sharing the stage with them,” Tendulkar told a packed audience that included the who’s who of the global sporting fraternity.
“Majority of India’s population is below 25 years old and they exercise their thumbs these days. So I would like to encourage the youngsters back home to engage themselves in sports, get out and play sport and get healthy and fitter,” added Tendulkar, who turns 42 in a little over a week’s time.
Besides Tendulkar, retired Chinese professional basketball player Yao Ming, Kenyan long-distance runner Tegla Loroupe, Chinese gymnast Li Xiaopeng and former Chinese short track speed skater Yang Yang were the other athletes to be inducted into the Laureus academy.
Arguably the greatest batsman in contemporary cricket, Tendulkar had walked into international sunset after a glorious career spanning 24 years, in front of his home crowd at the Wankhede Stadium following a Test series against the West Indies in November 2013. (PTI)
