Sachin steps up to fight Corona
New Delhi, March 27: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Friday donated `50 lakh to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, which has so far claimed 17 Indian lives and wreaked havoc globally.
Tendulkar’s donation is so far the biggest contribution among India’s leading sportspersons, some of whom have pledged their salaries while a few others have donated medical equipment to fight the dreaded outbreak, which has caused more than 24,000 deaths globally.
“Sachin Tendulkar decided to contribute `25 lakh each to Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in his bid to join the fight against Covid-19. It was his decision that he wanted to contribute to both funds,” a source privy to the development said on conditions of anonymity.
Tendulkar has been associated with a lot of charity work and there has been umpteen times, he has taken up social causes, helped people, which has never been brought to public notice.
Cricketer-MLA Laxmi donates three months salary, BCCI pension
Meanwhile, former India cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who is currently the sports minister of West Bengal, has donated his three months’ MLA salary along with BCCI pension for the same period to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.
“It is the need of the hour that we all contribute to the best of our abilities. I have already donated three months of my MLA salary to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Also, I get pension from BCCI. I have donated three months of my BCCI pension,” Shukla said on Friday.
Shukla, played three ODIs for India in 1999 before ankle injury cut short his career.
A respected all-rounder in domestic cricket, he represented Bengal and East Zone in over 100 first-class matches and has also been a part of IPL-winning Kolkata Knight Riders team.
Among other prominent cricketers, the Pathan brothers — Irfan and Yusuf — donated 4,000 face masks to Baroda police and health department while Mahendra Singh Dhoni, through a Pune based NGO, made a contribution of `1 lakh. —