Amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Indian batting legend VVS Laxman has on Friday (May 29) shared a fond memory from 1996 featuring former South Africa President and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela while saying the legend’s life “teaches all to remain joyful in every situation”.
Taking to Twitter on Friday, Laxman shared a memorable picture of him meeting Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mandela in 1996. In the picture, which has also Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar, the legendary batsman can be seen shaking hands with global great Mandela.
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Laxman captioned the post on Twitter: “Found this fond 1996 memory of meeting the great #NelsonMandela who was & continues to remain an inspiration. Despite enormous hardships,27 years in prison & going through unspeakable levels of cruelty, the grace with which he lived, teaches us to remain joyful in every situation.”
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One of the greatest cricketers of his generation, Laxman had first met the South Africa great during India’s three-match Test tour of South Africa in 1996-1997.
Laxman had once said about his meeting with Mandela: “It was during that Cape Town defeat that I first met Nelson Mandela. I have always been a huge admirer of the great man, who is to South Africa what Mahatma Gandhi is to India. To see him in flesh and blood is an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. What struck me were his simplicity and his humility. Single-handedly, and without raising his voice, he had triggered a massive revolution, yet he was so modest. It was a lesson well learned by all of us; it put things and life in perspective.”
Noteworthy, all the cricketing activities have been suspended since Mid-March due to the ongoing Coronavirus crisis with England and West Indies' cricketers returning to training as the two teams are scheduled to play a Test series in the UK in July amid the COVID-19 threat.
