1. SUDHIR GAUTHAM (INDIA)
So who tops this list? Who else but Sudhir Gautham from India. He holds the unique record of attending every home match the Indian team has played since 2003. 12 years on the trot; now that takes some doing. His image has achieved stardom as he is usually seen with the body painted in Indian tri-color and waving the Indian national flag in the live telecast of the matches. Amusingly, he travels by his bicycle to reach the venues of the matches involving Team India. In addition to that, he sometimes travels without tickets in trains to reach venues. A die-hard fan of Sachin Tendulkar, he paints the name of his favorite cricketer on his chest. You’ll be surprised to know that he skips sleep on the night before a cricket match to preserve the paint on his body. He once cycled from Muzaffarpur to Mumbai to watch Sachin play in 2003. His moment of glory came on 2nd April, 2011 when Tendulkar asked him to come to the Indian Dressing room and join the team’s celebrations on winning the World Cup. He often gets harassed by the Police for blowing the conch (it marks Team India’s arrival at any venue) but that never deters him from supporting the team. In a country, where cricket is given the status of a religion, it is no surprise that a man like Sudhir travels thousands of kilometers only to watch his beloved Team India play.
CONCLUSION– Recently,SudhirGautham was attacked by Bangladeshi supporters during Team India’s tour of Bangladesh. Such episodes tarnish the image of this sport. We condemn such unscrupulous incidents.
This article is a tribute to all you fans. Who needs an air-conditioner when you have such cool fans in the house?
