Sports taught me to compete in right spirit: Tendulkar

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar said sports taught him to get up on his feet again and compete in the right spirit.

"It is not always I went out and succeeded. But there were number of occasions, when I could not do well. But sports taught me to get up on my feet again and compete in the right spirit", he said, in his address to the grand finale of Isha Gramotsvam, a rural sports camp, organised by Isha Foundation, in Coimbatore on Friday.

"Sports means everything to me and sports taught me a lot of things in life...to be disciplined and to be focused," he said.

"Sports is something, which gives you a reason to smile. It is hence I am smiling in front of you," he said.

Noticing that the success of Gramotsavam, in which the rural men and women played sports like volleyball, throwball, kabaddi and pole climbing, Tendulkar suggested to the Foundation to organise such sporting activities in Puttamraju Kandrika, a village in Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, which he had adopted.

"Engaging in sports helps the community to come closer and stay tighter in difficult times. Sports teaches you on team work, which can never fail," he said.

"If you apply it in your day to day life, most of the problems will be solved," he said.

The former cricketer also shared his love for the game of volleyball and said when he was a child he played the game in his building.

Expressing serious concern over increasing diabetes cases in the country, Tendulkar spoke of the need to make change in lifestyle and habits to become healthier.

"We have to change our lifestyle and habits to make the nation healthier and fitter," Tendulkar added.

Stating that one should be engaged in outdoor activities of sports to become fitter and healthier, he said that this will take care of one's health.

"Once you take care of your health, the nation will also become healthy," he said adding:

"I want to see a healthier and fitter India."

"The fitter you are, more consistent you will be," Tendulkar said.