Tendulkar should be made Sports Minister: Milkha Singh

Chandigarh: Legendary athlete Milkha Singh strongly feels that iconic Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar should be appointed Sports Minister of the country as he understands the problems faced by sportsperson and can raise the overall standard.

 “Tendulkar should be made the sports minister. He has full knowledge about sports and it can be of immense help in lifting the standard of sports in the country. If he becomes the minister, the standard of sports will definitely go up,” Singh said today. 

He said that Tendulkar is very sincere and can do the job well: ”He knows the difficulties which are being faced by the sportspersons. I think he can do this job well. The government should not face any major hurdle in making him the sports minister since he is already a Rajya Sabha member,” Singh told.

Singh, popularly known as the ‘Flying Sikh’, recalled his past meetings with Tendulkar. “He is very humble, decent, sincere and a hard worker. He can guide the upcoming talent very well,” the octogenarian added. Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Amritsar, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu said the retiring cricketer is not just an individual but he is an institution, whose name will be remembered forever.

 “There has never been a player like Sachin and never will be,” the BJP MP from Amritsar said. In Hoshiarpur, Punjab, on the sidelines of a function yesterday, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said that it is difficult to imagine an Indian team without Tendulkar: ”But, I guess, we will have to prepare ourselves for this,” Harbhajan said. He recalled having met Tendulkar in Chandigarh, when he was asked to bowl during a net practice session nearly 16 years ago. The batting legend was impressed with Harbhajan’s bowling and told him that he has the talent to play for the Indian team in future. “He is like an elder brother, a great motivator,” he added.