New Delhi: Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s name has not been recommended for the Bharat Ratna award, according to CNN-IBN sources. Reports state that the BCCI has not sent any names of Indian cricketers for India’s highest civilian honour.
The Sports Ministry has recommended the names of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand and mountaineer Tenzing Norgay.
The criteria for the Bharat Ratna was recently broadened to include sports because of the huge demand. Many politicians in Maharashtra have been pushing for a Bharat Ratna for Tendulkar, prompting Sports Minister Ajay Maken to write to the PMO. Recently, the Home Ministry gave its approval to include sports.
Until last month, the criteria for the award was restricted to literature, art and science. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was the last recipient of the honour in 2008.
Tendulkar is the highest run getter in ODI and Test cricket. He also has 99 international centuries to his name and is just one three-figure innings away from becoming the first player in the game’s history to score 100 hundreds.