NEW DELHI: India's legendary batter
Sachin Tendulkar paid tribute to his childhood coach, Ramakant Achrekar, describing him as an "all-rounder" and a visionary in the field of cricket coaching.
Tendulkar unveiled a memorial dedicated to Achrekar at the iconic Shivaji Park in Mumbai, in the presence of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.
Tendulkar reminisced about his days under Achrekar's tutelage, highlighting how the coach instilled a solid temperament in his students, enabling them to perform without pressure during matches.
"Ajit (Tendulkar's elder brother) used to play, and in matches, his observation was, who were not sir's students, they were tensed. He used to wonder sir's students were never under pressure. Then he realised, sir had a lot of practice matches, and that temperament had been built. I was no exception," Tendulkar spoke in Marathi.
"Cricket was always going on under sir. Sir used to ask us to bring nets. Jeetu's father had given sir a room, for the club's kit, he told me to use that, and I used to play," he added. "He taught us to value things, we used to do rolling, sprinkle water, put nets, and practice, he trained us. The bond and understanding, a street-smart player, is someone who understands all this, water given to wicket, that's how our brain used to absorb that information while doing that."
Achrekar's innovative coaching methods, which included practice matches and hands-on training, helped develop a street-smart approach in his students.
"Sir used to do level 1, 2, 3, 4 coaching in 1970s and 80s. He had a vision to teach players, and respect the kit. I still tell players, that you are on the field because of the bat, respect it. Please remember your cricket kit, don't throw it, put it at a particular space, don't take out your frustration on your cricket kit. I am sitting here because of my kit. I will always pass on sir's messages to the future generation. We will try," Tendulkar shared. "Sir used to tell a lot with his eyes. We used to figure out by his body language. He didn't tell me 'well played' ever. Sir didn't take that chance ever, after a match, he sometimes used to give me money to take a vada pav, that's how I figured, I must have done something well. There was always that kind of affection. We used to go to his home, were invited by him and his wife, and our favourite diet was mutton curry, pav, lemon and onion. Vishakha used to come and serve us."
The memorial, located near Gate No. 5 at Shivaji Park, received approval from the Maharashtra government in August 2022.
Tendulkar shared anecdotes about Achrekar's unique coaching methods, such as coding match observations, observing players' actions, and providing practical lessons on field preparation.
"Sir had a swiss knife, glue, sand paper, first aid, after match, he used to say 'let's do match demonstration'. He wrote in code language, who did what wrong in the match. Once, during batting, a friend was flying a kite, he would stand and see, and take notes," he continued."Sir was a general store, used to have everything, was very caring. he used to control situations while we were going to the doctor also. He was an all-rounder."
Achrekar, who coached several Indian cricketers, was honoured with the prestigious Dronacharya Award in 1990 and the Padma Shri in 2010. His dedication to shaping the careers of aspiring cricketers has left a lasting impact, and the memorial serves as a motivation for future generations of players.
Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here