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Fastest man a fan of Sachin
He might be the fastest man in the world, but Usain Bolt feels humbled when Tendulkar's name crops up. N Ananthanarayanan writes.
The cotton candy seller paused at the main gate of the national stadium to buy an icicle pouch: "Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Steve Mullings, Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake - Jamaica have the most sub-10 second 100 metres runners in the world. What do you say man?," he said as he vanished into the night.
Cricket may still be the common theme in the Caribbean but Jamaica stands alone when it comes to sprinting.
And 24 hours later, the national athletics meet was the destination for Jamaican sports lovers.
Asafa Powell, who once held the 100m world record, proved a blur on the dark blue track as he won the heat. As the showpiece men's final neared, the anticipation was for the man who had automatically qualified. There was sudden buzz as the world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, jogged on the cycling track towards the grandstand. Clad in a yellow t-shirt and black track suit, Bolt hugged children and friends in the stands, posed for pictures, very much like a neighbourhood boy.
He might be the fastest man in the world, but Bolt feels humbled when Tendulkar's name crops up.
"Sachin is one of the greatest for me. I look forward to seeing him playing soon," he says. "For me West Indies need to work a bit more," Bolt added. "I like Sachin and Dhoni, their aggression, just like Gayle, who wasn't there. He makes it exciting. That is why I didn't go to the game."
