Sachin Tendulkar- Tobacco Companies Offered Me A Blank Cheque In The Past To Promote Them

Sachin Tendulkar: The player disclosed bits from the early years of his fabled career, recalling that he was barely out of school when advertisers began approaching him to promote brands. Noticing the plethora of offers headed Tendulkar’s way, his father told him “never to promote” tobacco brands, an advice the player has adhered to after all these years.

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Sachin Tendulkar spoke out against tobacco and the endorsement of tobacco brands

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar spoke out against tobacco and the endorsement of tobacco brands on World No Tobacco Day on May 31. While speaking at an event in Mumbai, the former Indian cricket team captain revealed that he had refused multiple offers to endorse tobacco products in the past, following his father Ramesh Tendulkar’s advice.

The player disclosed bits from the early years of his fabled career

The player disclosed bits from the early years of his fabled career, recalling that he was barely out of school when advertisers began approaching him to promote brands. Noticing the plethora of offers headed Tendulkar’s way, his father told him “never to promote” tobacco brands, an advice the player has adhered to after all these years.

My father told me never to promote tobacco products

“When I started playing for India, I had just come out of school. I started getting many advertisement offers but my father told me never to promote tobacco products. I got many such offers but never accepted any of them,” Tendulkar was quoted by The Statesman.

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His bat had no advertisement stickers in the first two years of his career

Speaking to a news channel at the event, the cricketing icon added that his bat had no advertisement stickers in the first two years of his career when his peers were promoting multiple cigarette brands. Marketers advised against the player’s stance, suggesting he put up stickers to make money. Tendulkar, however, refused to commit to his father’s advice.

I am a role model and a lot of people will follow what I do

“This was a promise I made to my father. He told me I am a role model and a lot of people will follow what I do. That is why I have never endorsed tobacco products or alcohol. In the 1990s my bat didn’t have a sticker on it, I didn’t have a contract. But everybody else in the team was endorsing two brands in particular – Wills and Four Square,” he said.

I didn’t break the promise that I gave to my father

“I didn’t break the promise that I gave to my father by not endorsing these brands. And got many offers from them to endorse their brand by having their sticker on my bat. But I didn’t want to promote all that. I have stayed away from these two things and have never broken the promise to my father,” he added.