Legend Sachin Tendulkar meets the Indian Men Hockey Team ahead of their departure for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014

New Delhi, 20th May 2014: A day prior to the departure of the Indian Men Hockey team for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014, scheduled in The Hague, Netherlands, from 31st May 2014 till 15th June 2014, Sachin Tendulkar - the little master of the cricket world visited the team in New Delhi today and motivates them for the World Cup. He wished the Indian Men Hockey Team goodluck for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup.

Sachin Tendulkar today met and shared his experiences of his cricketing days with the Indian Men Hockey Team and motivated the team to face the challenges of the upcoming tournament. He said “do not allow pressure to come to you irrespective how strong you feel the team is. Start each match with a positive attitude and do a thorough preparation on each team that you are meeting, understand their weaknesses and strengths and accordingly prepare yourself. You have to keep your mind positive all through as hockey is a fast game hence you have to keep yourself free of pressure. Always remember no team is stronger than you. Visualize this in your mind and you will realise that your body automatically starts responding positively”

He further motivated the team by saying “do not take failure to heart as everyone fails. But with those failures and experiences you will learn and grow. We all are here because we have a passion for what we are following. Stick to that passion for all the times to come”.

Talking about his first international match “my first match of my career was not that great as I could not score and because of which I had sleepless nights. I finally spoke to my seniors and they motivated me to not take pressure and be at ease and control of my game which helped me score 58 in my next match. I still follow this and share the same with every youngster that I meet”

Speaking on the master blaster meeting the team, Head Coach Terry Walsh said “it was a privilege to meet the legend of cricket. He is a great thinker and the time spent with the boys will have a resounding impact in the mind of the players. He spoke about the importance of positive approach in life and how one can attain success with a powerful mind and a positive approach”.

Speaking on meeting the Legend, Captain Sardar Singh said “It’s an honour for me that I got to meet him and after meeting him I am feeling very positive. It’s not only with me, I can see the same effect within the entire team as we feel a new force and excitement. I take this opportunity to thank him for speaking to us and instilling this self confidence of being as strong as our opponents”