By Chetan Sharma

New Delhi, Apr 22 (IANS): Legendary batter and India's cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, who will celebrate his 50th birthday on Monday, is known for his love for sports.

Sachin, who was a member of India's 2011 ODI World Cup winning team, has given his fans numerous reasons to admire him, but not many know that the Master Blaster has keen interest in other sports besides cricket.

Despite his remarkable achievements in cricket, he has shown his passion for various sporting disciplines and has been actively involved in promoting sports in India.

Football: Sachin has expressed his love for football on numerous occasions, and is often seen attending football matches both at home and overseas. In December 2022, he had shared a video on Instagram of him playing football with the FIFA World Cup 2022 theme playing in the background, captioning it "Football on my mind!"

In the video, Sachin showcased his football skills, running and dodging the ball. He was also the co-owner of the Indian Super League (ISL) team Kerala Blasters FC before parting ways with the club in 2018.

Tennis: Sachin is known to be an ardent fan of tennis. He had shared pictures on social media, where the batting legend could be seen playing tennis in his younger days.

His love for the sport is not hidden from anyone, and even he has admitted on many occasions that he is a huge admirer of Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer. The cricketing great has been spotted on many occasions at Grand Slam events, including the Wimbledon and Australian Open.

Golf: Besides football and tennis, Tendulkar has also shown his passion for golf and has been spotted playing the sport on various occasions. In February 2021, he was seen playing golf with former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, when he had shared the moment on Instagram with the caption, "From cricket to golf, we've travelled quite a few yards, Yuvi."

In August the previous year, Sachin had shared a video of him playing golf 'left-handed' in a playful manner. Actually he used his right hand but the video appearing reversed, made it look like he was playing left-handed.

Badminton: Sachin has also been seen supporting and promoting badminton in India. He was the co-owner of the Premier Badminton League (PBL) franchise Bengaluru Blasters. He has praised Indian shuttlers for their exceptional performances in various tournaments, showcasing his support for the sport.

Olympics and Other Sports: Sachin has also been vocal in his support for the Olympic Games and other sports. He has sent best wishes to the Indian athletes before they departed for the Olympics, and after the games, he met with some of the athletes to congratulate them on their stellar performances.

Sachin's involvement in promoting and supporting the development of sports in India goes much beyond cricket, reflecting his passion for sports in general.