Sachin Tendulkar to be awarded Bharat Ratna

Sachin Tendulkar to be awarded Bharat Ratna

www.mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Nov 16, 2013(NDTV): Tendulkar and eminent scientist Professor CNR Rao were the two names announced by the government for the highest civilian award. Sachin Tendulkar is the youngest person alive at the time of receiving the award (at the age of 40)

"The Government has decided to confer, the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award on eminent scientist Prof C.N.R.Rao and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar," the official government press release said.

The legendary cricketer, who played his final innings in cricket today, at Wankhede, will be the first sportsperson to be honoured with the award. "I dedicate this to my mother," he reportedly said. Tendulkar is the seventh Maharashtrian to win Bharat Ratna after Dhondo Karve, Pandurang Kane, Vinoba Bhave, BR Ambedkar, Lata Mangeshkar and Bhimsen Joshi.

 

 

The decision to honour Tendulkar comes after several noted personalities had voiced their support. Lata was the latest to say that Tendulkar deserved Bharat Ratna. "Whatever he (Sachin) has done for the country, very few people can. He deserves the honour. He has made all of us proud," Lata had told television channels on Friday. She herself had received the honour in 2001.

Tendulkar bowed out of cricket today out as the most successful batsman in international cricket with 15,921 runs in 200 Tests. In his ODI career, which he needed last year, Tendulkar amassed 18,426 runs in 463 matches.

Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian award, conferred for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour. The honour has been conferred on 41 people till date. The living recipients include former president APJ Abdul Kalam (1997) and economist Amartya Sen (1999). The only foreign recipient of the award was Nelson Mandela (1990).