UNICEF named Sachin Tendulkar as their brand ambassador for South Asia

A day after Taliban’s warning against admiring Sachin Tendulkar, UNICEF has announced his name as their first brand ambassador for South Asia. Legendary Sachin Tendulkar will now promote UNICEF’s awareness program towards hygiene and sanitation in this region.

“Thanks for allowing me to start this wonderful second innings of my life. I’m looking forward to being an ambassador for UNICEF and serve to the best of my ability. This is an innings that is really really important to me, so I will try my best,” said Tendulkar.

“I was surprised to know that 36 per cent of the world population don’t have access to safe and clean toilets. In today’s day and age to think about this basic facility not being available to a common man, it is really difficult to digest,” he added.

“If a person defecates in the open and goes back home and that happens to be a mother, because in most of the family it is the mother who runs the house. She is the one who is cooking food for all the family members, she is the one who is feeding the baby with her own hands because that is the attachment and a bond that any mother and child would share. And if the hands are not washed with soap, can you imagine the result? It can actually take away the child’s life. For an adult’s negligence, a child cannot lose its life,” Sachin further said.

Sachin said it’s disheartening to see so many child deaths due to diarrhea.

“Also another statistics which baffles me and I was disheartened to know was that 1600 children die everyday because of diarrhoeal infected diseases. I just want to help UNICEF to make more people aware of this initiative that I am part of. It is as simple as washing your hands with soap,” he said.

Tendulkar is looking forward to take the new challenges and promised to fulfill his responsibilities.

“Not just I was part of spreading the message but also to spend time with children and educate them about hygiene; how important it is to lead life the way it is meant to be, is lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed doing that. I am looking forward to sharing such moments with a number of children,” Tendulkar said.

“I think it becomes our responsibility to pass on our knowledge. I have seen it at home, my wife being a doctor, most of the things I don’t need to worry about. If the children are not feeling well, I know my wife is going to give them the best of the treatment and make sure that everything is fine. But outside where certain people don’t have access to these things, I think it becomes our responsibility to share our thoughts with them, our knowledge with them and just make them understand how important it is,” the batting icon said.

• About the Author

About Sprightly Spirit

“I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares more is none”. And all, may be. It may be the vigor. Or the spirit. Or the courage to avoid being “politically correct” or bent. And, ban all averse with immaculate overture of graciously fathomable words firm in views. Subtle. Justifying the undying conscience. Values. Knowledge. And, dares to stay true. True to own. True to the world. And, to the words. With a dream in eyes it exists. In you. In me. In all. The sprite that never shies away. The spirit that never dies!