Sachin Tendulkar wants youngsters to know history of Indian sport

Kolkata, Jan 29 (CRICKETNMORE) Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday said it is extremely important for youngsters of the country to know history of Indian sport and also be aware of the country's sporting icons, both living and dead.

Speaking at the opening of a sports museum here, the former India captain said it is nice to have a museum which shelters all disciplines and not just cricket.

"I have been to couple of museums to do with cricket. (Sir Donald) Bradman museum in Australia, and MCC at Lord's. But both are cricket museums," Tendulkar told a packed audience.

"This has got so many different things. You've got tennis, Usain Bolt is there and Roger Federer and not just cricket.

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"Experience to be here makes it complete. I would like as many youngsters to go there and understand the history of sport. Mainly Indian sport because I think it is extremely important to know our Indian sporting heroes," he added.

"We have had so many world class sportsmen. Some of them are not alive but have brought laurels to our nation in the form of medals. We cannot forget them. They are not alive and in front of us. But they should be in our minds. And this will help to keep them in our minds and get motivated and inspired," said Tendulkar, who amassed 15,921 runs in 200 Tests.

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The museum, a 6,700 sq ft area sheltering memorabilia of sporting icons, has Brazilian football legend Pele's 1970 World Cup-winning shirt, the 2010 World Cup match football, India's first Test cricket captain C.K.Nayudu's Allahabad Bank passbook with a bank balance of Rs 346, and chess ace Viswanathan Anand's used board personally signed by him among others.

Besides Tendulkar, former India captain Sourav Ganguly, India's only individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, 2016 Rio Paralympics silver medal winning shot putter Deepa Malik and and two-time Paralympics gold medallist javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia were also present.

The museum entry fees have been kept at Rs 100 with the price halved for students. It is free for national and state level athletes.