Sachin Tendulkar Says Singing National Anthem Ahead of Pakistan Game is 'Different' Experience

Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday said singing the national anthem in front of a packed Wankhede Stadium before the 2011 World Cup final was the 'proudest feeling' he has ever had in his life. The batting maestro added that singing it ahead of the Pakistan game at the 2003 World Cup was a 'different level altogether.' (Sachin Tendulkar Concerned Over Child Deaths Due to Diarrhoea)

"But it (singing of national anthem) goes to a different level altogether, when you are playing against Pakistan in 2003 World Cup (in Centurion), standing inside the stadium, in the middle of the group, with 60,000 people singing 'Jana Gana Mana'," Tendulkar said here on Sunday. (How I Nearly Died On Train Tracks: Sachin Tendulkar)

He was speaking at the unveiling of an album 'The Sport Heroes', aimed to inspire the younger generation towards sports. In the video, directed by Abhijit Panse, Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza, Sushil Kumar, Dhanraj Pillay, Gagan Narang and Bhaichung Bhutia sing the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana.'





"When you sing the 'Jana Gana Mana', your head is always held high, but when you sing it (standing) in the centre of the ground, then...seena chauda ho jata hai (chest swells with pride)," Tendulkar said.

"A couple of experiences, one was that (against Pakistan). The other one was when we played the 2011 World Cup finals, I can never forget that experience, the entire stadium singing 'Jana Gana Mana' and it still reverberates in my ears. It's the proudest feeling I have ever had in my life.

"We achieve so many personal goals, also team milestones are achieved, but when its comes to our national anthem, everything else takes a backseat."

Tendulkar was part of the World Cup (50 overs) winning team where India defeated Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede stadium here in 2011, to lift the trophy after 28 long years.

(With inputs from Anurag Dwary)