Sachin Tendulkar has often spoken about his late father Ramesh Tendulkar’s positive influence on his cricketing career.
The Indian batting legend on Saturday (June 13) once again remembered his father’s words of wisdom, who wanted him to be a role model in future and thus he never endorsed alcohol or tobacco products.
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Speaking on Aaj Tak's '2020 Salaam Cricket', Tendulkar said: “This was a promise I made to my father. He told me I am a role model and a lot of people will follow what you do. That is why I have never endorsed tobacco products or alcohol. In the 1990s my bat didn't have a sticker on it, I didn't have a contract. But everybody else in the team was endorsing 2 brands in particular - Wills and Four Square.”
"I didn't break my promise that I gave to my father by not endorsing these brands. I got many offers from them to endorse their brand by having their sticker on my bat but I didn't want to promote all that. I have stayed away from these two things and have never broken the promise to my father," he added.
On a different note, Tendulkar urged the countrymen to obey the government guidelines in order to overcome the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Master Blaster also cited the importance of washing hands as the root cause of all the diarrheal diseases was dirty hands.
"We have been trying to send this message across for a long time. Diarrheal diseases happen because of dirty hands. Washing our hands is very important, we keep taking our health for granted. I request everyone not to take their health for granted. Sanitization and hygiene has to be maintained and that is the message we have tried to spread for a long time."
Sachin said everyone should act as a team to defeat their biggest opposition Coronavirus for now.
"We all are in one team trying to defeat coronavirus. We don't have to compete with ourselves, we have to look at ways to defeat the virus. Even if somebody wants to help financially or in any other way, he should make sure to follow all the norms provided by the health ministry. We have to progress as one team in the fight against Covid-19.
"It is hard on the people and the MHA is giving directives accordingly to people. The message that I want to give is that direction is more important than speed in life. If the direction is correct we can increase the speed. We need to follow the directives given to us by the health ministry, it is difficult but we have to do it," he remarked.
