Legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar has grabbed the prestigious Laureus Sporting Moment Award in the last 20 years. The image of Indian cricketers carrying Tendulkar on their shoulders after the 2011 World Cup triumph beating Sri Lanka in Mumbai titled 'Carried on the shoulders of a nation' received the maximum number of votes as he emerged the winner on Monday.
In his sixth appearance in the mega event, Tendulkar and the Indian team finally tasted success as they defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final. It was watched live by an estimated 135 million fans across India on April 2, 2011. It was after 28 long years India managed to lift the trophy under the leadership of MS Dhoni.
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The Master Blaster was then carried on the shoulders by the Indian team players. Sachin Tendulkar had made a lap of honour in front of raucous cheers, shedding tears of joy after achieving such a momentous victory in his home ground.
"It's incredible. The feeling of winning the world cup was beyond what words can express. How many times you get an event happening where there are no mixed opinions. Very rarely the entire country celebrates," Tendulkar said after receiving the trophy from former Australia skipper Steve Waugh.
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"This is a reminder of how powerful sport is and what magic it does to all of our lives."
A God for a nation. An inspiration worldwide.
And an incredible speech from the Laureus Sporting Moment 2000 – 2020 winner, the great @sachin_rt #Laureus20 #SportUnitesUs pic.twitter.com/dLrLA1GYQS
— Laureus (@LaureusSport) February 17, 2020