Sachin Tendulkar in conversation with a group of children during a mini cricket session at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel in Colombo. Picture by Rukmal Gamage

Former legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar yesterday, urged all Sri Lankan youth to indulge in more sports activities to lay the foundation for a healthy and prosperous nation.

“I would encourage all children in Sri Lanka to go out and play sports because a fitter nation could do wonders, and they could become successful in whatever the career they choose.”

The former India Captain and one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket, made these comments in his role as the UNICEF South Asia Regional Goodwill Ambassador during a media briefing held at the Cinnamon Lakeside in Colombo.

The 50-year-old ‘little master’ shared his experience growing up, in overcoming obstacles, remaining resilient and focussed in pursuing his goal towards becoming the all-time highest run-getter in both ODI and Test cricket with more than 18,000 runs and 15,000 runs, respectively.

Tendulkar recalled his warm memories associated with Sri Lanka during his earlier visits, both as a cricketer and as part of the engagements with UNICEF in 2015 along with Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan.

“We had played against each other on a number of occasions on the field but here, we were batting for one cause and Murali was not bowling but he was batting,” Tendulkar recalled.

He lauded the efforts of all government and non-government organisations in their efforts towards bringing a positive change despite challenging environments.

One of the highlights of his field mission was a visit to a pre-school in Ruwanwella, supported by UNICEF’s ongoing midday school meal programme and helped serve nutrition-rich food to children.

“Children require a nutrition-rich diet and quality education to reach their full potential. By investing in their education and nutrition, we are not only investing in their future but also every country’s future,” Tendulkar stressed.

During another visit, he observed teaching and learning activities for Grade-3 children where many students shared their desire to stay in school and follow their dreams. Tendulkar then joined the senior schoolgirls and boys on the pitch for a game of cricket.

“The children I spoke with, are showing great tenacity and their hope for a better future remains strong. We need to continue supporting them, so they keep achieving their goals,” Tendulkar added.

Tendulkar also visited families living in the plantations to understand their lives better.

In addition, he took time to speak to a group of youngsters from Sri Lanka, during a mini cricket session at the Tennis Court of the Cinnamon Lakeside.

These young people were part of the UNICEF-supported Children’s Club network of the Department of Probation and Child Care Services.Tendulkar was appointed as the first UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia in 2013 and since then, he has been playing a pivotal role in improving the lives of children in South Asia.