{"id":3912,"date":"2016-06-25T21:20:47","date_gmt":"2016-06-25T15:50:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/13.201.39.237\/?p=3912"},"modified":"2016-06-25T21:20:47","modified_gmt":"2016-06-25T15:50:47","slug":"ramakant-achrekar-sachin-tendulkar-cricket-coach-mumbai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/13.207.105.184\/?p=3912","title":{"rendered":"Remembering Ramakant Achrekar, the Man Who Made God"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cC<\/span><\/p>ricket in heaven will be enriched with the presence of Achrekar Sir,\u201d said his most famous shishya <\/span>Sachin Tendulkar<\/span><\/a> in a condolence tweet after the widely revered and legendary coach passed away in <\/span>Mumbai<\/span><\/a> on Wednesday. <\/span>\n\nFor most fans, the last visual memory of Guru Achrekar was on November 14, 2013 at Wankhede Stadium, where despite age and ill-health, the Dronacharya and Padma Shri awardee attended his pupil <\/span>Sachin<\/span><\/a> Tendulkar\u2019s final Test match. Visuals of Achrekar being lifted out of a car in his wheelchair brought tears to the eyes of fans present at the stadium and those watching on <\/span>TV<\/span><\/a> worldwide, in one of the sport\u2019s most powerful and emotional moments.<\/span>\n

Ramakant Achrekar had an eye for promise and talent, and the maidans of Mumbai became his canvas.<\/blockquote>\nIt was a contrast to the bustling scooter rides on which Achrekar Sir had carried the curly-haired prodigy all around <\/span>Mumbai<\/span><\/a> to play one game after another, a few decades earlier. A Mr Miyagi to his Daniel-san, a Dronacharya to his Arjun, the guru-shishya stories featuring Achrekar and Tendulkar are the stuff of legend. Not many can claim to have slapped Sachin Tendulkar, but the <\/span>Little Master<\/span><\/a> vividly recalls how that incident changed his life. Demonetisation may have rendered certain notes useless, but the one-rupee coins Sachin earned from Achrekar Sir\u2019s sessions will always be priceless. Pani puri, kulfi, and Sunday <\/span>lunches<\/span><\/a> were treats for those who had done well; the coach wasn\u2019t too big on verbal encouragement. A word of praise or even a reluctant \u201cwell played\u201d was rare, for coach Achrekar feared that the boys would become complacent. <\/span>\n\nRamakant Achrekar had an eye for promise and <\/span>talent<\/span><\/a>, and the maidans of Mumbai became his canvas. Achrekar brought a sense of romanticism back to the <\/span>grounds<\/span><\/a> of Mumbai, where kids come in from all corners of the country with heavy kit bags and childlike innocence, wanting to know \u201cIs this where Sachin used to practice?\u201d While the world is familiar with the genius of the Little Master, Achrekar\u2019s illustrious list of proteges includes names like Vinod Kambli, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Sanjay Bangar, Ajit Agarkar, and Pravin Amre, among others. Not everyone justified their potential, but the guru\u2019s job was to merely sow the seed, it was up to the individuals to blossom.<\/span>\n\nThe greatest coaches do not simply train <\/span>champions<\/span><\/a>, but raise gentlemen that also showcase good character and discipline in their personal lives, and Ramakant Achrekar was no different. \u201cAchrekar sir taught us the virtues of playing straight and living straight. Thank you for making us a part of your life and enriching us with your <\/span>coaching<\/span><\/a> manual. Well played Sir, and may you coach more wherever you are,\u201d Tendulkar wrote in his statement.<\/span>\n\nRest in Peace, Achrekar Sir. <\/span>God<\/span><\/a> makes man, but here was a man who made God.<\/span>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How many people can claim to have slapped Sachin Tendulkar? The greatest coaches do not simply train champions, but raise gentlemen that also showcase good character and discipline in their personal lives, and Ramakant Achrekar was no different.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":3913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[394],"tags":[7246,1499,449,19,2744,7247,7248,7249,1273,4549,7250],"class_list":["post-3912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-ajit-agarkar","tag-australia","tag-cricket","tag-india","tag-odi","tag-pravin-amre","tag-ramakant-achrekar","tag-sanjay-bangar","tag-t20","tag-test","tag-vinod-kambli"],"yoast_head":"\nRemembering Ramakant Achrekar, the Man Who Made God<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How many people can claim to have slapped Sachin Tendulkar? 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