Former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Teachers’ Day honoured the memory of his late father, Ramesh Tendulkar, by announcing the Professor Ramesh Tendulkar Memorial Fellowship, an initiative aimed at supporting young doctors specialising in cleft and craniofacial care in Srinagar.
Under the initiative, one Doctor of Medicine (MD) will receive financial support each year for a year-long opportunity to specialise in cleft and craniofacial care in Srinagar. The fellow will also receive a certificate from the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation after completing the programme.
Announcing the fellowship on Teachers’ Day, Tendulkar reflected on the influence his father had on his life and career, saying his journey was shaped at home long before he became known as a cricketer.
“When I think about the people who shaped my journey, I do not begin with a cricket ground or a coach. I begin at home,” Tendulkar said in a statement released by STF.
Ramesh Tendulkar was a professor, writer, and poet, but his son remembered him primarily as a mentor who allowed him to choose his own path while ensuring that he understood the importance of character.
“My father, Ramesh Tendulkar, was a writer, poet, and professor, but more a mentor, a guide to many, including me. He gave me the freedom to pursue cricket while reminding me that success should never come at the cost of character,” he said.
Tendulkar recalled one of the lessons his father gave him during his childhood. “Failure is okay, but cheating is not. Never take shortcuts,” he recalled.
The former India batter said his father recognised his passion and potential but never tried to dictate what he should become.
“I was simply a boy who loved playing cricket. My father saw something more. He did not try to decide what I should become. Instead, he gave me the space and support to discover it for myself,” Tendulkar said.
He said this experience shaped his belief in the importance of teachers and mentors in helping young people recognise their abilities.
“That, in many ways, is what a great teacher or mentor does. They recognise a possibility in you before you can recognise it yourself,” he said.
Tendulkar said the fellowship was an extension of the values his father stood for and an effort to create opportunities for others.
“For me, this is more than a fellowship. It is a way of carrying forward something my father deeply believed in, that education creates opportunity, and that opportunity becomes truly meaningful when it is used to serve others,” he said.
According to the 53-year-old, talent is widespread in the country, but many youngsters do not get access to the right coaches, mentors, learning environments, or healthcare support needed to develop their potential.
“My father gave me the confidence to find my own path. He dedicated his life to educating and guiding others, and I hope we can create that same sense of possibility for others,” he said.
Through the fellowship, Tendulkar hopes to carry his father’s legacy beyond his own life and provide young healthcare professionals with an opportunity to develop specialised skills that can benefit others.
“The lessons of a teacher may begin with one student, but their influence can travel much further, from one life to another and from one generation to the next,” he said.
Ramesh Tendulkar played a big role in shaping Sachin’s career, giving him freedom to choose his path. He suffered a fatal heart attack and died at his home in Mumbai in 1999, aged 68 years old.
