I learnt to stay calm under pressure from Sachin Tendulkar: Paralympics gold medalist Pramod Bhagat

Paralympics gold medallist Pramod Bhagat said Sachin Tendulkar taught him to stay calm under pressure. One of the finest batters ever, Tendulkar upheld the sportsman spirit with his graceful behavior throughout his cricket career. The legendary cricketer’s humble behavior inspired many and Bhagat is one of them. The athlete revealed he used to play cricket in childhood and Sachin Tendulkar’s calm demeanour had a huge influence on him.

Last week, Pramod Bhagat, clinched India’s first Paralympics gold with a straight-game win over Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in the SL3 class finals in Tokyo. Notably, the athlete’s journey to glory was all about hardship and determination as many hurdles came his way. Pramod contracted when he was just four years old. However, his mental grit allowed him to make a name for himself in the field of sports.

The way Sachin Tendulkar conducted himself and it had a big influence on me: Pramod Bhagat

Speaking of his childhood days, Bhagat revealed being fascinated by Sachin Tendulkar’s game. “I used to play cricket during childhood. During that time we used to watch cricket on Doordarshan and I was always fascinated by Sachin Tendulkar’s calm demeanour, the way he conducted himself and it had a big influence on me,” India Today quoted Bhagat as per saying.

“I started following him. His sportsmanship influenced me a lot. So when I started playing, I followed the same thought process and it helped me to make some memorable comeback in many matches, including World Championships,” he added.

For the unversed, Bhagat recovered from an eight-point deficit in the second game to come up trumps against his opponent. Speaking of the same, Bhagat said: “When I was 4-12 down in  the second game of the final, I was confident that I can recover and so I could held my nerves, stay calm and come back and win.”

Bhagat, who hails from Attabira in Odisha’s Bargarh district, had met Sachin Tendulkar upon his return to India. While the athlete gifted his racquet which he used in the final to Tendulkar, he received an autographed tee-shirt and his autobiography book. The 33-yet-old further said meeting Tendulkar was a big moment for him.

“I have always been inspired by Sachin, right from childhood, so it was a big moment for me when I met him. He told me about the balance of life and sports. It was a dream come true moment,” he added.