Tendulkar happiest and healthiest, says poll

Cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar was on Wednesday named in a poll as India's happiest and healthiest role model for youngsters.

Cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar was on Wednesday named in a poll as India's happiest and healthiest role model for youngsters.

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"I will cherish this compliment forever," Tendulkar said in health magazine 'Complete Wellbeing' which carried the poll conducted by global research firm Synovate.

Tendulkar, who guided India to a record victory in the first Test against England at Chennai this week, pipped Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan and former Indian president Abdul Kalam to claim the number one spot.

"Goodness me! Is it true?" said Tendulkar.

"My countrymen think that I am the healthiest and happiest person in the country? What a compliment! I am truly overwhelmed."

Tendulkar, 35, is hugely popular in cricket-mad India for his heroics on the field and genial conduct off it. He is the world's top scorer in Tests (12,413) and one-dayers (16,422).

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza was the only woman to feature in the top-10 of the list.

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad was voted as the happiest among all politicians while Congress President Sonia Gandhi was named number one role model of health.

The survey was conducted across eight major cities in India in the 25-45 age group.