Sachin Tendulkar says sports should be a subject in schools from kindergarten

Sachin Tendulkar has stressed on need to transform India from a “sports loving nation to sports playing nation” and wants sports to be introduced as a school subject.

“I feel sports should be introduced as a subject from kindergarten. That’s my dream,” Tendulkar said while launching Khel Mahakumb at the Dharamsala stadium.

Khel Mahakumb is a rural sports initiative by Lok Sabha MP and former BCCI chief Anurag Thakur, which aims to take sports to panchayat level in Himachal Pradesh.

Congratulating Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for introducing sports as a compulsory subject from Class 9 onwards, Tendulkar said sports changes lifestyle and makes people healthier.

The batting stalwart wanted more women to take up sports.

Sachin Tendulkar called for women to be encouraged to take up sports. (Photo by Shyam Sharma/Hindustan Times)

“Women make the backbone of the family and should also be promoted in sports.”

Exhorting young athletes to become good players as well as good human beings, he told students to work hard and avoid shortcuts.

The star cricketer said once he scored 24 runs in an inter-school tournament and the media manager said he would add extras to his individual score to make it 30 so that Tendulkar’s name appears in the newspapers.

“My name was published and my coach came to know about the truth. He told me to score runs if I want my name published in papers,” said Tendulkar.

“Winning is important but not when you start cheating,” he said, advising young players not to get disheartened by defeat.

Thakur explained his initiative.

“About one lakh players from 5000 villages in 800 panchayats will participate in Khel Mahakumb. The best players will be selected and Rs 1 crore will be spent on their training in the next five years,” said Thakur.

Sachin and Anurag Thakur also launched T-Shirts designed for the initiative and the theme song of the tournament.