2013 : The Year Of Twin Bharat Ratna Awards

It was an emotional day in Mumbai when Sachin Tendulkar was preparing to give his farewell speech to the hundreds assembled there. It was his 200^th Test and his final appearance in any form of international cricket. And all of a sudden, we were watching a Bharat Ratna talk to us from the stadium. This was the cleverly timed move of the central government, which decided to give the nation its youngest Bharat Ratna in the form of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. A phone call that turned Tendulkar teary-eyed proclaimed him as the first sportsman ever to receive the highest civilian award in India. He is also the youngest of all the Bharat Ratna awardees till date.

Along with Tendulkar, Prof. C.N.R. Rao was announced to be the other recipient of this year’s Bharat Ratna award. This twin announcement from the Prime Minister’s office gave followers of respective field of sports and science new icons to look up to. At Floralis, we salute the immense patience and fortitude upheld by these masters. Here, is a quick peek into the lives of these maestros and their achievements. Needless to say, it is a pleasure and a tough task going through their bio-datas and presenting to you a simplified list of their mammoth achievements. Here we go –

SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR

• Born on 24^th April, 1973.
• Premiere Indian batsman who has appeared in six cricket world cups.
• Debut in international cricket in 1989 in both Test and ODI formats.
• Only cricketer in the world who has played in 200 Test matches in all his life.
• Has 51 Test centuries to his credit, highest in the world.
• Average test run rate has been 3.86 percent, highest ever in the world.
• In ODI, he has 49hundreds to his credit.
• The first cricketer to score a double century in ODI format in the world.
• He has 96 half centuries to his credit in the ODI format
• First cricketer to have scored 100 international centuries.
• Announced retirement from ODI on 23 December, 2012, Twenty20 cricket on 26 May, 2013, and from Test cricket on 16^th November, 2013.  
  
  

PROF. CHINTAMANI NAGESA RAMCHANDRA RAO

• Born on 30^th June 1934 in Bangalore, India.
• Eminent scientist in the field of solid state and materials chemistry. He is considered an international authority in this field, thankstoa highly impressive number of publications.
• Author of 1400 research papers published till date. Author of 45 books in materials chemistry. Check your academic texts and you might have referred to his works in those chemistry classes!
• Recognition from major scientific establishments all over the world in the form of fellowships and memberships.
• Winner of many prestigious international awards for excellence in science.
• Recipient of many national awards for excellence in his field including the Padma Vibhushan.
• Presently, he is the Honorary President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India.
• Presently serving as the head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.

A huge shout-out to these two mega achievers! Hearty congratulations from all of us here at Floralis.

When The Maestro Said Goodbye-I

“All my friends, settle down let me talk, I'll get more and more emotional. It is hard to believe my life between 22 yards in the last 24 years is coming to an end. I would like to thank all the people who have helped me in my life to get here.”

HUMILITY INCARNATE. SACHIN TENDULKAR. 

A name that makes every cricket enthusiast bow his head with respect and reverence. The crowds have loved him just as the experts have. He entertained the masses just as he kept playing for the classes. A master in his own right, Floralis takes this opportunity to show its respects to the legend. 

The Impact of Just One Announcement :

Cricket lovers felt the blow too hard. The rest of the world felt it later. As soon as Sachin Tendulkar announced his retirement from international cricket, many lost a part of their childhoods. The surge of emotions that came around by the time he reached his 200^th Test, bears testimony to the love and respect that he has rightfully earned from his countrymen. We salute you, sir!

A Flashback To The Beginning :

The genius called Sachhin Tendulkar was born to be noticed for his cricketing skills. A boy of mere height, Sachin was first introduced to the game of cricket by his brother Ajit, who tried to use the game as a way to curb Sachin’s bullying tendencies. Once he got noted by Ramakant Achrekar, he was subjected to regular training under some of the well established cricket clubs of Mumbai. Soon, he was a key batsman in school cricket circles and ever since then, there has been no looking back. Many fondly remember his record partnership with Vinod Kambli while representing St. Xavier’s High School in 1988, a record that stood right in place till 2006.

In 1995, when he married Anjali, he hardly knew beautifully triumphant his married life would turn out to be. With two lovely children and the whole family blessed by the Divine hands of Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi, Sachin Tendulkar happens to be one of the very few icons who has a clean personal and social record. Sachin has always been earnest and confessed to his family being the cause of ‘balance’ that we see in him all through his career. Not to forget, the family sat and prayed for his success every single time that he hit the pitch. 

Journey Trivia :

A legend’s journey is always filled with ups and downs. But the best part of watching Sachin is how humble he remained after breaking those difficult records, how after every fall he chose to ignore the media and critics and rise back to regain full form, and how at the end of it all, he chose to dedicate his achievement to his mother.  

However, for all of us who have literally grown up hearing his name being chanted by delirious crowds, Sachin’s journey is a combination of awe-inspiring records and honors. But we will come to that a little later. Let us take a quick look at how well he has balanced his personal life while handling the immense pressure of representing India in the international cricket arena.

Many a stadium has resounded with the chanting of “SACHINN…SACHINN…SACHINN”. And he played in around 90 different venues. Yet, the man was cool as a cucumber whether he was on field or at home. 

As Indians, we feel proud to have been blessed with the masterstroke of a genius that took the form of Sachin Tendulkar. Floralis will forever uphold the integrity that he has portrayed in his professional and personal life. Dear readers, if you have enjoyed this post, then watch out for the next blog that is also another tribute to this Little Master.