What’s the story?
Sachin Tendulkar once again showed that he has a heart of gold when he helped his most ardent fan Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary get a quick visa to the United Kingdom. Sudhir, who is famous for following Team India across the globe for almost every match, was having some problems in acquiring the visa to travel to England and cheer for the team at the upcoming Champions Trophy.
According to a report in the Deccan Chronicle, Tendulkar wrote out a letter to the visa office, addressing Sudhir as the unofficial mascot of the team and emphasising on how important it was for him to be cheering for the India. He requested the visa office to co-operate with Sudhir’s requirements.
Sudhir was not be disappointed as he was granted visa within three days.
In case you didn’t know…
Sudhir Kumar is a popular name among the Indian cricket fans. He is widely recognised as the man in the stands who has his body painted in the Indian tri-colour and waves the national flag. Tendulkar’s name and jersey number, 10, is always inscribed in white paint on his backside.
The heart of the matter
Sudhir applied for the visa in fast-track and paid Rs 26,000 (the rate for the normal mode being Rs 7,500). Additionally, he attached the letter from the Master Blaster alongside the application.
In the letter, Tendulkar wrote, "I am writing to confirm that Mr Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary has been an ardent supporter of the Indian Cricket Team and has become an unofficial mascot of the team due to his enthusiasm.
"His commitment has been relentless and whenever the team is on tour, he goes to great lengths to be present for the games at his own expense.
"It is unfortunate that someone from a modest background, who is supporting Indian cricket without accepting any help from the players, is made to face numerous hardships to enable him to follow his passion.
“I hope on my behalf you will extend your co-operation to Sudhir Kumar as required by him.”
Parallels from history
It was not the first time that Tendulkar had helped out his fan. Previously, he had written out a letter in a similar fashion to help Sudhir get the visa to travel to Australia for the 2015 World Cup.
Author’s take
Tendulkar’s father had told him to be a good human being before being a good cricketer. It is heartening to see that the iconic batsman still follows his old man’s words right to the core.
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