Enjoy pressure at Tokyo Olympics, Tendulkar tells India athletes

FORMER India cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday (20) advised the country’s participants at the Tokyo Olympic Games to enjoy the pressure and not get bogged down by it during the event.

The 48-year-old maestro said after joining the Athletics Federation of India for a virtual event to give the athletes departing for Japan a send-off. In his address, Tendulkar told the participants to chase the dream of winning an Olympic medal relentlessly.

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“A lot of people say there is win or loss in sport but my message is that the loss should be for your opponent and the win for you. You should go for the medal,” the former batsman with the most number of international runs and centuries said.

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“Don’t stop chasing your dream and the dream should be the medal around your neck, National Anthem playing and the Tricolour flying high.”

The Indian track and field contingent will have 47 members, including 26 athletes. There will be 11 coaches, eight support staff, one team doctor and one team leader. The contingent leaves for Tokyo on July 23 when the games will start. The athletics events will begin on July 31 and continue till August 8.

Tendulkar said pressure is an athlete’s companion in all sports and it is crucial to channelise it into a better performance. “Expectation of people has grown because of your improved performance. That is a good thing. I had always enjoyed pressure or expectation from the people. You have to change it to positive energy,” he said.