In a particular gesture, the MCA mentioned {that a} life-size statue of Tendulkar shall be erected inside the long-lasting Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
Expressing a pleasure over the event, Sachin mentioned it got here as a nice shock for him and the stadium gave him great recollections.
“This decision is a pleasant surprise for me, 1988 is when it all started at the Wankhede. The journey started here for me. Played my first Ranji match here. Long ago, Achrekar sir reprimanded me here and from thereon I became a serious cricketer. I played my last match at this very venue. Life has come full circle for me here. I have wonderful memories of this place, some memorable and some not-so-good. It’s a big moment for me,” Sachin mentioned.
#WATCH | Mumbai: On his life-size statue being erected inside Wankhede stadium by MCA, Cricket legend Sachin Tendul… https://t.co/DtHn5QlxQ8
— ANI (@ANI) 1677561172000
The legendary batter reminisced about his recollections of the Wankhede and mentioned that it holds a particular place in his coronary heart.
“I am still a 25 -year-old with 25 years of experience I would say. It’s good and I would like to thank the MCA for this really great gesture. It’s a very special place for me and a lot of things happened in my career because of the MCA. The amount of time that I have spent here is second to none and I have enjoyed being here and playing here. A special place for me. I got the message from MCA regarding the statue and it’s a special occasion for me. I came here to discuss the type of statue that will be created and to identify a place for it. Things such as these are rare and unique,” acknowledged the previous India participant.
‘Pleasant Surprise’: Sachin Tendulkar on life-size statue to be erected at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium
MCA president Amol Kale instructed TOI that he is hoping “the statue will be unveiled during the ODI World Cup in India later this year.”
“Every Mumbaikar, rather the world knows about Sachin’s contribution to cricket. He’s the pride of the cricketing fraternity and a Bharat Ratna as well. As a small token of appreciation of his work, and as a special gift on his 50th birthday, the MCA will put up a life-size statue in the premises of the Wankhede Stadium, something similar to the statue of Shane Warne at the MCG. We approached him a couple of weeks back (with this idea), and a couple of days back, we gave his consent. So now, we’ll decide where to put up the statue soon. At the same time, we’ll decide when to unveil it. We are planning to do it during the ODI World Cup, so that the entire cricketing fraternity is present during its unveiling,” Kale instructed TOI.
Tendulkar already has a stand named after him on the Wankhede Stadium. In 2021, the MCA determined to honour batting nice Sunil Gavaskar with a particular field and former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar with a stand.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com