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Navjot Sidhu shares Kapil’s courage, Sachin’s determination as recipes for success
Speaking during the ISB Leadership Summit 2018, Sidhu talked about the qualities that champions exhibit. Sidhu said, “Champions have a different character. They are unflustered.”
Addressing the Indian School of Business (ISB) students and faculty members, Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu revisited his cricketing career and recalled several instances with legends Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar.
Speaking during the ISB Leadership Summit 2018, Sidhu talked about the qualities that champions exhibit. Sidhu said, “Champions have a different character. They are unflustered.”
Sidhu advised the gathering to embrace adversities. “It will refine you, your character. Your worst time will pave the path for the best moments,” he said.
Going down the memory lane, Sidhu said Kapil Dev was a champion and had different character.
“He is fearless and courageous. One should never think about the public perception and never be afraid from the failure,” said the minister who represented India in 51 tests.
When Sachin struck Waqar after injury
Recalling his time with Sachin Tendulkar, Sidhu said Sachin struggled against deadly bowlers of our times. “One thing that Sachin had was his commitment towards the country and dedication towards the game,” he said. He recalled the fourth test match of Sachin Tendulkar in which he was injured by a bouncer of Waqar Younis and still the 16-year-old boy was ready to face one of the best bowler of Pakistan.
“After Tendulkar was given the first aid, I was on way to the non-striker’s end,” he said. Sidhu said he heard Tendulkar saying, “Main khelega (I will play).”
“Sachin came to me and said country has high hopes from us, so we should confront the rival team with high spirit,” he said, adding, “This was the character of Sachin, which makes him a champion.”
Sidhu touched upon the highs and lows of his cricketing career. “In 1983, I was dropped from the Indian squad and an article appeared in a newspaper dubbing me as strokeless wonder. It hurt my father. I worked hard for four years and made a comeback in 1987 World Cup. I hit five fifties in a row and the same columnist wrote an article titled Sidhu: From Strokeless Wonder To A Palm-Grove Hitter.”
