A Case Study For Tendulkarmania

A Case Study For Tendulkarmania
By SportzPower Team
Published: 5 Mar 2010 - 11:28
WHEN India plays at home and Sachin Tendulkar scores big, the telly cameras always zoom in on a spindly thin individual in the
stands waving the tri colour proudly. Amazingly, this young man who paints his body in the colours of the tricolour with the Ashoka Chakra in the
centre and Tendulkar 10 emblazoned on his rear is ubiquitous.
He is at every ground and that takes some dedication. It also costs money. But Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary also known as Sudhir Kumar Gautam is a die
hard fan of Tendulkar. And he even has a wikipedia site named after him. When Tendulkar recently did the unthinkable of scoring a double ton, the
omnipresent Chaudhary with his body art was once again in the focus. Yes, there are fans and fans, but the Muzzafarpur (Bihar) native Chaudhary is
something else. He lives, eats and breathes Tendulkar. Many people around the world worship Tendulkar, but none shows the fanaticism that
Chaudhary displays. He is a one of a kind savant. A case study for Tendulkarmania.
Sudhir Kumar gifts his idol 1000 litchis every year and Tendulkar in turn gives him passes to all international cricket matches featuring India at home.
Sudhir is the very embodiment of a cricket mad fan in India. More than that his obsession with Tendulkar typifies the sentiment that exists in the
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hearts and minds of Indian cricket addicts. An addiction incidentally for which there is no cure. A Tendulkar junkie who is pretty much a symbol for
cricket obsession in India, Sudhir has even cycled to Lahore and Dhaka to watch his favourite cricketer. In an interview to media a couple of years
back, Sudhir had this to say about his maniacal zeal, "I first met him in Mumbai in 2003 during an ODI. And, I have been there to cheer my hero and
the team since then. I attend the practice sessions and the matches and wave the Indian flag. Tendulkar unfailingly gives me a ticket before boarding
the team bus. He likes me a lot."
The body art with the tricolour begins with his tonsured head and covers his face and body completely. It is a unique attachment for one of the
game's greatest servants. He claims to have visited the batting maestro’s home in Mumbai. He also boasts of knowing every team member. As he
says, "I travel from one venue to another on my bicycle and use the train only if necessary. I don’t spend much on transportation. I cycled my way
even to Lahore in Pakistan in February 2006 to watch an ODI. I had a tough time getting a visa but managed to convince the Pakistan embassy. " A
news agency story said that such is his love for cricket that he has chosen to remain a bachelor. While much has been written about Tendulkar over
these last 20 odd years, it is an interesting aside to highlight the psyche of one of his greatest worshippers.
Sudhir Kumar cycled to Bangladesh in 2007 with a placard draped around the handlebars - Cycle yatra: Damodarpur, Muzzafarpur (Bihar) se
Bangaldesh cricket match dekhne chale Sudhir. He first watched Sachin in 2002 at the Keenan stadium in Jamshedpur and then cycled for 18 days
from Muzzafarpur to Mumbai the following year to make his tryst with Sachin. The dairy worker is like Abdul Chacha, the Pakistani supporter seen at
their games or Percy, the flag waving Sri Lankan supporter. Chaudhary Abdul Jalil has been a fanatic Pakistan supporter for over 40 years now. The
Pakistan Cricket Board now supports and sponsors him. The retired Municipal foreman says, "I have taken up this mission to support the Pakistan
team and have earned a lot of respect from the people. But this is special, it is not important which team wins, but it is the love between the two
countries that is the ultimate winner." So, this cricket crazy culture is clearly rampant in south Asia.
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Percy Abeysekera also known as Uncle Percy is cast in a similar mould, but what separates Sudhir from Abdul Chacha and Uncle Percy is that while
his Pakistani and Sri Lankan equivalents are much older, they are also supporters of their nations and not merely individuals. Sudhir is focused on
Sachin unlike the other two. That is what makes him even more special. But it is now up to the cash rich Indian cricket board to support and sponsor
this cricket mad Sachin junkie. Often enough one has seen placards bearing the legend around cricket grounds - Cricket is my religion and Sachin is
my God. They are so apt. But Sudhir has taken his obsession for Sachin and his art of batsmanship to a distinctly new level.
It is reported that Sudhir even stripped himself once showing his painted body to former BCCI president Sharad Pawar to grant him lifetime guarantee
of tickets for all Indian home games. The media story went on to say that while his request was denied by Pawar, yet it was approved by Sachin
himself. As Sachin runs the last lap of his glittering career, let the cricket board come forward and give Sudhir also his due. Make him the mascot of
the Indian team just as Abdul Chacha and Uncle Percy are for their respective nations. Ensure that Sudhir is present not just at all domestic venues
which he has managed by sheer dint of perseverance on his bicycle till date, but that he is present at all international venues where India and Sachin
are playing. Let Pawar or Shashank Manohar take up this initiative or maybe Mukesh Ambani can be roped in for this venture. With Sachin captain of
Mumbai Indians in the IPL, let Nita Ambani come forward and turn Sudhir into a semi official MI mascot and allow the young man to travel with the
team to all the MI matches. Let the board follow up on this and turn Sudhir into the official Indian cricket side mascot and give this die hard his
rightful place and recognition.
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