Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar met with the Indian Women’s blind cricket team, fresh off their T20 World Cup triumph, and lauded their perseverance and dedication in bringing glory to the nation. The interaction took place on Tuesday at the MIG Cricket Club.
According to the organisers, Tendulkar reminded the players that with success comes increased responsibility. “The legend reminded the team that success brings with it greater responsibility. He said expectations would rise, and meeting them would demand even harder work and sharper focus,” the statement said.
He also highlighted that their World Cup win was just the start of a longer journey.
“Emphasising that the World Cup victory was not an endpoint, he described it as the beginning of a longer journey, one that now carries the weight of inspiration for countless others,” the organisers added.
Deepika TC, the captain of the team, expressed her gratitude for the encouragement. “We have always played with passion and belief, but hearing words of encouragement from him has touched our hearts deeply,” she said.
The meeting served as both an inspiration and a reminder for the players to continue striving for excellence on and off the field.
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar marked National Sports Day on Friday with a heartfelt message celebrating India’s athletes across various disciplines, urging people to embrace fitness and draw inspiration from the nation’s rich sporting diversity.
The legendary batter lauded recent trailblazers, including Divya Deshmukh, the youngest-ever FIDE Women’s World Cup Chess champion; D. Gukesh, the youngest men’s winner of the same title; wrestler Rachana, who clinched gold at the U-17 World Championship 2025; and Naisha Mehta, who secured India’s first gold in Junior Girls Solo Dance at the Asian Roller Skating Championship.
“I am proud to celebrate the great strides that India has made in the field of sports on National Sports Day,” Tendulkar posted on X.
“Currently, our sporting achievements are not limited to one or two marquee sports, but instead reflect the diversity of our country and the diversity of our people,” he added.
He also praised athletes excelling in less-followed sports, from Tulika Maan in judo to the historic lawn bowls women’s team – Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, Pinki, and Nayanmoni Saikia – who won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Highlighting the rise of domestic leagues across football, kabaddi, volleyball, badminton, handball, and hockey, Tendulkar noted how they have nurtured talent and widened the sporting landscape beyond cricket.
“Excelling in sports is something to be extremely proud of,” he wrote, “but just as important is the way in which athletes can inspire everyone, young, old, healthy, or differently abled, to try something new, push themselves to their limits, or simply relax through light physical activity.”
National Sports Day, celebrated every year on August 29, commemorates the birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand, who led India to Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932, and 1936. Revered as the “Hockey Magician,” Dhyan Chand remains one of the greatest players in the sport’s history.
This year, the Fit India Mission is spearheading celebrations with a three-day nationwide sports and fitness movement from August 29 – under the theme ‘Ek Ghanta, Khel ke Maidan Main‘.
First observed in 1995 and nationally recognised since 2012, National Sports Day has become a symbol of India’s commitment to health, fitness and sporting excellence. The launch of the Fit India Movement in 2019 has further transformed the day into a mass fitness revolution.
More than a decade after retirement, Sachin Tendulkar remains one of India’s most bankable celebrities for brands. Industry executives estimate his brand valuation has crossed the $100 million mark, with his endorsement portfolio expanding to nearly 25 partnerships and revenues surging.
Over the past year, Tendulkar has added four new partners: Reddit, Organic India (Tata Consumer Products), fintech firm Kissht, and Rajhans Realty. He also renewed long-standing deals with DP World, Gillette
Executives say his endorsement revenues this year have risen more than 40% year-on-year, supported by both renewals and fresh signings. A couple of more collaborations are expected in the coming months. His per-deal earnings have also climbed about 15%, up from ₹7-8 crore each earlier. More than 70% of Tendulkar’s brand deals have lasted over five years, at a time when celebrity tie-ups are often short-lived. Sports marketers say his staying power comes from qualities such as trust, consistency, and a clean public image, similar to the traits that marked his cricket career.
“Sachin is one of the top five celebrities in the country. It is difficult to find anyone better in India, and even after retirement his ability to draw crowds remains unmatched,” said Frank Schloeder, managing director, Hafele South Asia. “What I admired most was his professionalism, and that is probably the key attribute that has been one of the main drivers for us.” Arshdeep Chhabra, GM of Marketing at Spinny, added: “We were clear that we wanted someone who embodies trust, transparency, and integrity, and Sachin exemplifies those values. He also represents the idea that true excellence does not require compromising on these principles.”
Tendulkar also commands a massive digital following, with more than 130 million across major platforms. Executives say this reach makes him equally attractive to traditional and new-age companies.
Reddit, one of his latest signings, is banking on that digital appeal. “The partnership with Sachin Tendulkar aims to highlight Reddit’s growing cricket community,” said Durgesh Kaushik, VP of International Growth at Reddit. “In fact, Sachin’s recent Ask Me Anything (AMA) session attracted over 8 million views from around the world and was one of the most engaging AMA sessions in India in recent times.” The broader market has been supportive as well. According to GroupM’s India Sports Sponsorship Report 2024, endorsement spending crossed ₹1,000 crore for the first time, reaching ₹1,224 crore. Beyond endorsements, Tendulkar has been active in the startup ecosystem. He holds stakes in ventures such as Sugar.Fit, Spinny, Kissht and RRP Electronics, combining endorsements with equity investments. His upcoming athleisure brand, Ten X You, co-incubated with partners, is set to launch in October and will offer cricket gear, footwear, apparel, and accessories.
He has also remained closely tied to cricket through initiatives such as the International Masters League, a joint venture between him, PMG Sports LLP (a partnership between Madison Group, Selvel One Group, and Sunil Gavaskar), and Sportfive, and the Indian Street Premier League, where he is both investor and mentor.
Of the many epithets that Rahul Dravid has earned, one stands out for having little to do with his illustrious career, first as a player and then a coach. ‘Indiranagar ka Gunda’ is hardly how neighbours would remember the mild-mannered cricketer from his growing-up years in Bengaluru. Yet, thanks to a viral commercial—where Dravid famously loses his cool in a traffic gridlock—the phrase has stuck to the World Cup-winning coach almost as firmly as his more fitting monikers: The Wall and Mr Dependable.
Cricketers delivering iconic punchlines for brands isn’t new. Generations have grown up on Kapil Dev proclaiming ‘Palmolive da jawab nahi’, or Sachin Tendulkar identifying ‘Boost is the secret of my energy’. Dravid himself has featured in a rash of ads during his playing years. But the one that earned him a sobriquet to match those of his playing years came in 2021, a decade after his career came to an end. In fact, in the last four years or so, the 52-year-old has seen a resurgence in his brand recall, with 20-odd brands onboarding him despite zero social media presence.
And he isn’t the only one. Nearly 12 years after he wrapped up his innings in his 200th Test match in Mumbai, Tendulkar continues to be the face of 25 brands, commanding a premium of around Rs5-6 crore per day former captain Sourav Ganguly has 42 in his portfolio, while Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli have 45 each. Retired cricket legends in India are far from fading out, they’re playing their second innings with aplomb.
“These legends remain highly valued by brands well beyond retirement due to their legacy of excellence, clean public image, and the deep emotional capital they carry with fans across generations. They’ve transitioned from athletes to enduring brand platforms, offering credibility and a demographic appeal that few contemporary celebrities can match,” says Harsh Talikoti, director, financial and valuation advisory of Houlihan Lokey, a global investment bank.
Kohli, who has now retired from two out of three formats of the game, recently ended his eight-year association with sportswear brand Puma and moved to sporting goods manufacturer Agilitas (launched in 2023 by former Puma India MD Abhishek Ganguly), where he isn’t just the brand ambassador, but has also invested a reported Rs40 crore as the first tranche. By putting his skin in the game and scaling up his bouquet of investments, Kohli, the most marketable cricketer of his era with a valuation of $227.9 million (Kroll Celebrity Valuation report), will look to ensure his brand equity stays alive way beyond his playing years.
While the role of a brand ambassador remains the most visible metric for brand value, equity ownership is fast emerging as a path to long-term legacy. Agilitas isn’t Kohli’s first equity investment—he is said to have put his money in 10-odd startups, including the likes of Blue Tribe and Digit Insurance. Dhoni has a portfolio spanning F&B to electric vehicles and aerospace to fintech, while Tendulkar has 10—five of these are pureplay equity partnerships, while the rest go beyond mere capital infusion and look at what his team calls “a seat at the table”.
SRT10 Athleisure is one such venture, jointly helmed by former Swiggy executives Karthik Gurumurthy and Karan Arora. “For the past three to four years, we are focusing not just on equity partnerships, but also how we can align with a company from Day T-365. For SRT10 Athleisure, we have been involved in all aspects—right from getting investors Peak XV and Whiteboard Capital on board to roping in the senior leadership to planning the brand logo and even designing the products,” says Venkataraman R, vice president, SRT Sports Management (SRTSM), the independent team which manages Tendulkar.
The strategy mirrors a global playbook that allows elite athletes to stay relevant beyond their careers through astute investments. Recently, Roger Federer became the first tennis billionaire, courtesy high-value endorsement deals like Rolex and Uniqlo, and equity holdings—his 3 percent stake in Swiss running footwear company On is now valued around $500 million, according to Bloomberg’s wealth index, nearly 4x of the prize money he’s earned during a career studded with 20 Grand Slam titles. How such deals preserve brand longevity is evident from basketball legend Michael Jordan’s tie-up with Nike in 1984 for the Air Jordan line of sneakers. The partnership, while not of equity, includes a lifelong royalty for Jordan that earns him a higher per year revenue than that of his playing career. The sales of the brand surged 6 percent in 2024, accounting for 14 percent of Nike’s total sales revenues in 2024—the player’s net worth, meanwhile, touched $3.5 billion in 2023.
“This is a highly lucrative investment vehicle because it leverages an athlete’s massive personal brand to drive scalable, high-margin consumer products across apparel, footwear, grooming and hospitality. With strong fan loyalty, repeat purchase potential, and multi-category expansion, brands like One8 (for Kohli), Air Jordan combine brand equity, cultural relevance and IP ownership, making them a rare asset-light business with long-term revenue streams and significant upside,” says Talikoti.
Where business equity isn’t in play, social equity is. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, one of India’s most successful Test captains, isn’t big on entrepreneurial deals. “But he opens his entire ecosystem to the brands he endorses. We try to align synergies—like connecting DreamSetGo, a premium sports tourism brand, to HNI clients within our portfolio. Ganguly understands sales, P&L, strategies to maximise revenues, so even without direct investments in brands, he gives 360-degree support to brands that onboard him,” says Bhavesh Singh, chief business officer for Ganguly.
Still, building brand equity doesn’t have a magic formula. The transition from backing brands to becoming one succeeds only if built on the foundation of exceptional on-field performances. Dhoni, who had 20-odd endorsements around 2008, has only seen his appeal multiply. The keeper-batter—who recently filed for a trademark for ‘Captain Cool’, a phrase that alludes to his calm on-field demeanour—now endorses 45 brands even though his international appearances thinned down in the latter part of the last decade, and ended with his retirement in 2019.
“It’s because of the milestones he achieved during this period,” says Jeet Banerjee, founder and CEO of Gameplan Sports, the first professional agency to represent the former captain between 2004 and 2008. “In 2007, he led India to victory in the T20 World Cup, a format India hadn’t embraced yet. But within six months of that victory, the Indian Premier League was launched and T20 became one of the most popular formats. In 2011, India won the 50-over World Cup under his leadership, ending a 28-year wait. Key inflection points in Indian cricket have been built around Dhoni.”
Dravid, who charges around Rs1.5 crore for a day’s brand work, is an example of how one’s playing career lends itself to a post-retirement portfolio. His partnership with Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) is hinged on his persona of Mr Dependable, invoking his iron-clad technique and the ability to steady the ship while batting at No 3. The PSU’s ad campaign for MAK Lubricants saw a 35 percent surge in aided awareness and a 65 percent rise in intent to purchase.
“Players like them have understood the character of their brand when they were playing. The life of a brand like Dravid can be extended by focusing on his dependability, Tendulkar’s by his ability to take the fight to the opposition, Dhoni’s by his leadership skills. Because people who believe in you already do so for a reason,” says Ramesh Jude Thomas, president and chief knowledge officer, EQUiTOR Value Advisory.
Dependability was what stood out for SaaS behemoth Salesforce when they onboarded Dravid for its first ever Indian advertising campaign. “In a country where credibility is earned, not claimed, Rahul brings an authenticity that instantly builds trust,” says Arundhati Bhattacharya, president & CEO, South Asia. “With him on board, we’ve been able to take enterprise technology out of the boardroom and into everyday conversations. The partnership has helped us connect innovation with integrity, and AI with real-world impact.”
It’s difficult to pinpoint in numbers how cricketers move the marketing needle for companies. But Agnishwar Jayaprakash, founder & CEO, Garuda Aerospace that has Dhoni as both an ambassador and a strategic investor, talks about the impact it has on a sunrise sector like drones. “We work in precision agriculture in rural India, which is not at all easy—getting farmers to use drones as a spray is tough due to inertia and resistance to change. But that has broken much faster, having him as a brand ambassador. His presence helped in accelerating the speed of adoption of drones in the country—not only for Garuda but for the industry in general,” says Jayaprakash.
From the time the company roped in Dhoni, Garuda has gone from Rs15 crore in revenues in FY22 to Rs123 crore in FY25, and has also turned a profit. “It’s a two-way street—it shows the kind of work that we’ve been doing as well as how Dhoni has been guiding us through it.”
In India, cricketers command a rare pan-India appeal, unlike film stars whose fandom often splits along regional lines. Even retired legends resonate with audiences transcending geography and demography.
Ganguly, fondly called Dada for his Bengali roots, represents South Indian realty brand CasaGrand Tendulkar, who retired in 2013, endorses new-age startups like Spinny Ranchi boy Dhoni is a strategic investor as well as a brand ambassador for Chennai-based Garuda, while the introverted Dravid’s transformation into a hot-headed ruffian for the Cred ad has become part of advertising folklore.
Aside from the commercial upside, what do celebrities look for in brands? Exactly what brands look for in them—authenticity and relatability. “It didn’t take us long to convince Dravid to sign up for Grundfos pumps—he otherwise is a very curious guy and asks a lot of questions before approving. That’s because he has been using the product at his home for eight years,” says Sharba Tasneem, the founding team and AVP-key accounts and strategic initiatives-at Meraki Sport and Entertainment. “That’s why his equity investments are fewer and take place gradually. He needs to get comfortable with a brand before he decides to come on board as an investor.”
As social realities evolve, so do choices. Tendulkar, who had turned out for both sides in the Cola war in the 90s and noughties, endorsing both Pepsi and Coca-Cola during his career, has moved aerated drinks to his no-endorsements list along with tobacco, gambling and alcohol. “The context has changed the health of the society and the awareness around it have changed. India has become the diabetes capital of the world, obesity is on the rise. And the awareness on what aerated drinks can do to your body is much higher than before,” says Athul Pillai, vice president, SRTSM. “Even as recent as last year, a brand had approached him, but we chose not to do it.”
Most of the deals that are eventually signed with these elite athletes are long term. Ganguly, who charges about Rs2.25-2.5 crore per brand per year, has been associated with Coca-Cola for 18 years, Vicco and Lloyd for five, and Dabur, Veedol and Mankind Pharma for four years. Tendulkar, who enjoys a near-100 percent renewal rate, has been associated with power company Luminous for the past 15 years, and has fashioned out of the commercial partnership, a non-profit venture with Schneider Electric, Luminous’s parent, to digitise classrooms.
During their playing careers, India’s cricketing stalwarts have racked up numbers that still stand as benchmarks. The trend continues even in their retirement.
Sachin Tendulkar is a man of precision. The evening before the launch of Ten x You, an athleisure brand that he has co-founded with Karthik Gurumurthy and Karan Arora, the cricketing legend walked into the experiential makeshift nets at the venue in Mumbai and, at one glance, pointed out that those were not 22 yards. The team got a measuring tape and found that it was indeed short by six inches.
Gurumurthy, who previously built both Swiggy Instamart and Swiggy Mall, got a glimpse of how meticulous the former India captain is with details while developing products for the brand over the past year-and-a-half. The Bharat Ratna brought in all his experience, and using the feedback from coaches and experts, suggested changes that he felt would be beneficial to people using the gear to play sport.
Over a decade after his retirement from international cricket, Tendulkar continues to bat for Indian sports. He wants the country to be a sports-playing nation instead of a sports-loving one. Ten x You is a step in that direction. The Bengaluru-headquartered company is backed by Peak XV and Whiteboard Capital. The brand has launched a range of products—shoes, apparel and accessories—with the aim of providing premium quality sports and athleisure wear to players.
In a conversation with Forbes India on the sidelines of the launch on October 10, Tendulkar, who is the chief inspiration officer, and Gurumurthy, the CEO, speak about the core philosophy of the brand, their vision and plans to scale up. Edited excerpts:
Q. What is the reason behind launching Ten x You and getting into the athleisure segment?
Sachin Tendulkar: The reason is simple. We keep talking about India as the youngest average age nation in the world. But are we fit and healthy? The answer is ‘no’. Given our sedentary lifestyles, we need to bring in certain changes. And we need to change that from the grassroot level… encourage people to play any sport of their choice and stay active.
We have a tendency to sit back at home, watch television and clap. We love sport. But we are a sport-loving nation, not a sport-playing nation. That transformation has to happen. So, from the grassroot level, we need to encourage children to play. We need to get the younger generation to involve their parents and grandparents in some physical activity. It need not be a 10-mile job for everyone. It could be as simple as walking for a kilometre… for elderly people, just taking a walk. It is about a healthier and fitter India. With our population and average age, can you imagine if we are fit and healthy… the productivity will shoot up like anything, and that is a dream. That is the vision.
Karthik Gurumurthy: From a brand angle, what we always wanted to do was sports. All the sports brands, beyond a point, are looking at serving products for just elite athletes. It has become performance-driven… but for a large section of people or novices who are saying, ‘I am going to start an activity from tomorrow’, what’s required are the features of comfort. It has not been looked into. That is one area which we wanted to solve. And that is the main philosophy with which we started Ten x You.
In the athleisure space, we follow a two-pronged strategy. One is a beachhead strategy, where we believe that if you win in a sport, you get the credibility from the customers, wherein they trust your technology and products. Look at any international brand, D2C brands, or any brand which has done well over the last few years… you win in a niche where you establish your technical credibility and then get into the larger athleisure space. We believe the athleisure segment is very crowded. So, you’ll just be another brand. But if you establish technical credibility in one place, it’s easy to grow.
Q. What was your role in the product development?
Tendulkar: I’ve spent 18 months developing this. Using all my 24-year experience on the field, I have shared my thoughts with the designing team. There are a number of professionals involved—a couple of guys from Australia for designing the logo, a couple of guys from Germany for the construction of the shoe and a company from California, which had great exposure in making high-class insoles. We’ve spent a lot of time on this and eventually the products have been satisfying. We have had youngsters trying these and the coaches too had a lot of feedback to offer. We’ve incorporated all of that.
Q. As a first-hand user of the products, what did you think of them?
Tendulkar: With regard to the cricket shoe, the top spike was not in the position that I wanted. We’ve moved it further out. It sounds easy, but nobody had done that before. You get the grip, and that final push… it gives you that thrust to move forward. Today, line decisions have become critical. Centimetres could be the difference between winning and losing.
Also, data show that the width of Indian feet is marginally wider, and we are also flat-footed. For flat feet, we have insoles and for wider feet, we have made our shoes a little wider. The insoles are for performance and comfort, so the energy released from those give you that bounce vis-a-vis a lifestyle shoe. In our conditions, our feet swell up. Even beyond cricketing hours, you should be comfortable wearing them.
Also, we have a spike at the back… I’ve never seen anyone use that. We’ve tried to use it because sometimes you land on the back part of your foot, and if the outfield is wet, you slip. This will protect you from that. And it is kind of a floating spike. It will not come in contact with the surface. It will have a role to play only when something goes wrong. The other spikes are 12 mm, that one is nine mm. We’ve intentionally done that. And we also have grooves that act like air brakes. So, when you are sliding forward, they help you slow down.
I have used these in February and March in the nets. So, these are tried-and-tested.
Q. How closely involved was Tendulkar in this entire journey?
Gurumurthy: He is someone who looks at 100 percent precision and believes that we should keep getting 1 percent better every day. He had numerous feedback on the products—all the colour codes, for instance, have been approved by him. He brings in all his experience. The world knows him as an astute cricketer, but he’s actually a great sportsman in general. His ability to observe… like what happens in golf or tennis is remarkable. He brings in all those features and then simplifies them for the common people to understand. He has been deeply involved in everything.
Q. What are the brand’s five-year goals in terms of growth, innovation and category expansion?
Gurumurthy: In terms of where we want to be in six months or so, we want to get into offline and set up our own stores. We are expanding there. There are multiple international markets—like the Middle East where we have got a lot of interest. The UK is another market where we have received a lot of interest in terms of big brands wanting to partner with us. We believe that there are two to three other categories which are fairly nascent and have not been tapped. We want to crack training as a category. We believe barefoot running is picking up a lot in the West. That trend is going to catch up in India. So that is one more area.
Q. How does Ten x You plan to differentiate itself from the competitors?
Gurumurthy: We have products that we call as sport-ready lifestyle. We are not a pure lifestyle brand. People need products which are versatile. Our whole idea is that we want to do a sport-ready lifestyle brand. The second idea is stemming from the customers we are approaching. The customers we are talking to are novices. It’s not about saving three seconds in their run… they are looking for super comfortable products. All of us, including our partners, work on that aspect.
Q. Many sportspersons in India and abroad have gotten into this space. What do you think about this trend?
Gurumurthy: Anyone who does this has to be authentic. We truly believed that our first set of products should be cricket. Because if you think about it, Sachin is the God of cricket. India today is a powerhouse in cricket in the global space. And if a brand in cricket has to come out, it has to come from India. And it has to come from the God of cricket. So, the credibility needs to be very, very solid. And if that is possible, then I think the whole celebrity angle works.
Maharashtra Governor presents Navabharat CSR Awards
Sara Tendulkar honoued
Maharashtra Governor C.P.Radhakrishnan presented the 4th edition of the Nava Bharat CSR awards 2025 at a function in Mumbai on Tue (4 Feb.)
Corporates, PSUs, organisations and individuals having done commendable work for society through their CSR funds were presented the awards.
The Governor released the Navabharat Navarashtra Tejotsav Coffee Table Book on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj on the occasion.
Managing Editor of Navabharat Group Nimish Maheshwari, Founder & Trustee, Meghashrey Foundation Seema Singh, Chairman of Bajaj Foundation Shishir Bajaj and invitees were present.
The Governor presented the Navabharat CSR Award to Harshwardhan Nawathe, CEO of JSW Foundation, Sara Tendulkar, Director of Sachin Tendulkar Foundation, Saurabh Gadgil of PNG Jewellers and representatives of L & T group, Tata Motors, SBI Foundation, Dr D Y Patil Group, Crompton and Greaves, Ryan International School, Grant Medical Foundation and others.
Dantewada in Chhattisgarh is shedding the tag of being a Naxal-affected district and is carving a new identity for itself as a sports hub thanks to the local administration’s unique initiative supported by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar’s foundation.
With the Naxalite footprint gradually shrinking in the district, the administration has introduced ‘Maidan Cup’ in collaboration with the Mann Deshi Foundation and Sachin Tendulkar Foundation, under which 50 playgrounds will be developed in Dantewada to boost sports culture and talent.
“At least 20 playgrounds have been developed in the district so far with community participation as a part of the project, and by October, the target will be achieved,” Dantewada collector Kunal Dudawat told PTI.
Last year, the state government organised the Bastar Olympics 2024 to promote sports talents from the Bastar region, comprising Dantewada and six other districts.
The idea was to connect sports talents of Naxal-affected and sensitive districts with the world through games, he said.
“Along these lines, we decided to introduce Maidan Cup to provide dedicated playgrounds to children and youth to further boost sports talents in collaboration with the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation and Mann Deshi Foundation, he said.
Dudawat said in the first phase, 50 playgrounds will be developed in as many villages, and it will be replicated in the entire district in the next phase.
Vibrant playgrounds are being developed in existing spaces on the premises of government high, higher secondary and porta-cabin schools in the district with the help of community participation, he said.
The official said that 20 playgrounds have been developed with facilities for 13 different sports, including a running track, shot put, javelin throw, discus throw, long jump, wall climbing, etc.
He said the district administration could have built the playgrounds on its own, but the idea was to involve community and iconic figures like Sachin Tendulkar to attract youths and children.
The playgrounds were developed with materials available locally, and not more than Rs 4 lakh was spent on each of the facilities. Paintings on boundary walls of the playground have been done by local children, Dudawat said.
“With these facilities, we want the next sports personality of the country to come from the Bastar region. Youths of Bastar have been torchbearers in athleticism, with specific physical and genetic traits advantageous for particular sports. Several youngsters from the region join the police, paramilitary and armed forces, and with these playgrounds, we want the youth to shine in national and internal sports,” he said.
“In the long run, we want the next Sachin Tendulkar, Neeraj Chopra and PT Usha to come from Bastar,” he asserted.
The official said panchayats that develop the best playgrounds in their areas under this initiative will be rewarded with a skating park.
He further said the district administration has also been building a residential sports city, where elite athletes with medal potential from the region will receive specialised training.
This sports city will have cricket, football and hockey grounds, swimming pools and other sports facilities, he added.
“For the first time in India, there is a community movement to build a playground for children,” said Divya Sinha, who is leading the project from the Mann Deshi Foundation.
The SRT10 Altevol Centre of Excellence Sports Academy in Ahmedabad officially opened on Friday, marking a significant step in expanding structured, high-quality grassroots cricket development in India.
This is the second such centre in the country, building on the success of the SRT10 Global Academy at the DY Patil Sports Centre in Navi Mumbai, according to a press release.
The inaugural day began with a traditional puja ceremony, followed by an immersive cricketing session that offered young participants a first-hand experience of the academy’s training philosophy and professional coaching environment.
A key highlight was a special virtual interaction with Sachin Tendulkar, who addressed students and parents, sharing insights from his journey and underscoring the importance of discipline, consistency, and love for the game.
A key highlight was a special virtual interaction with Sachin Tendulkar, who addressed students and parents, sharing insights from his journey and underscoring the importance of discipline, consistency, and love for the game.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
The National Cricket League entered the global financial spotlight today as Chairman Arun Agarwal and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar rang the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), symbolizing the league’s growing influence at the intersection of sports, business, and culture.
The ceremony came just hours before the first ball of the NCL tournament is bowled in Dallas, marking a powerful symbol of cricket’s arrival in the United States. With Tendulkar and Agarwal side by side on the NYSE podium, cricket officially took its place on America’s biggest financial stage.
“Ringing the NYSE Texas Opening Bell is more than ceremony — it’s a symbol of cricket stepping onto the world’s financial stage,” said Co-Owner of NCL and Cricket Icon Sachin Tendulkar. “Just as markets connect investors worldwide, cricket unites billions of fans across cultures and countries. Today we show that America is ready to be part of that connection.”
“At the New York Stock Exchange, the Opening Bell signals leadership and vision, said Bryan Daniel, President of the NYSE. “Today, with Sachin Tendulkar and the National Cricket League on this stage, we celebrate more than a game — we celebrate a global sport stepping into America’s financial and cultural spotlight. As the official jersey partner of the NCL, NYSE Texas is proud to stand alongside this movement, where business meets sport and billions of fans are connected worldwide.”
“Ringing the NYSE bell marks cricket’s arrival in America’s business mainstream,” said Arun Agarwal, Chairman of the National Cricket League. “With the NCL USA, we’re building a bridge from Wall Street to Main Street — and to billions of fans worldwide who see cricket as both a sport and a global marketplace of passion and opportunity.”
Beyond the tournament, the NCL is committed to building opportunity at the community level. Today, Brian Lara and the NCL USA team visited Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in South Dallas to teach students the fundamentals of cricket. It was the first time many of these students had ever held a bat — and it won’t be the last. The league plans to expand these grassroots clinics to schools across North Texas, making cricket accessible to the next generation.
The NCL tournament launches tonight at the University of Texas at Dallas, with matches broadcast globally on Sony Sports, nationally on ABC/WFAA, and supported by NYSE Texas as the league’s official jersey partner. The league introduces the fast-paced Sixty Strikes format, designed to engage new audiences while staying true to cricket’s traditions
Two legends were seen bonding in front of the crowd at the Wankhede Stadium as local boy Sachin Tendulkar met Argentina’s Lionel Messi on Sunday. Messi was on his third stop of the GOAT India tour in Mumbai, where he was joined not only by Tendulkar but also Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri, along with other celebrities from the entertainment world.
The World Cup–winning Argentine skipper was accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul. The trio arrived at the iconic Wankhede Stadium shortly after Tendulkar made his appearance at around 5:45pm.
Perhaps for the first time, chants of “Tendulkar, Tendulkar” were not dominating the stadium as the crowd instead cheered loudly for the Argentine footballer.
However, chants of “Sachin, Sachin” once again reverberated around the ground when the legendary cricketer came in to address the crowd.
Sachin Tendulkar on Messi:
Speaking at the venue, Tendulkar said, “I have spent some incredible moments here. A number of dreams have seen the finish line at this very venue. And without your support, we would never have seen those golden moments on this ground in 2011 (Cricket World Cup).”
“When it comes to Leo, what does one say about him? He has achieved everything. We really admire his dedication, determination and commitment,” he added.
Tendulkar also gifted Messi his 2011 World Cup jersey and called it a “golden moment” for Mumbai and India. Notably, Wankhede is the same stadium where the Men in Blue ended their 28-year drought to lift the World Cup.