One Sachin = Two Pelés = Delicious Omelette – Tendulkar the Foodie on Copacabana Beach
What do I write for Sachin Tendulkar’s birthday? That was my first thought. Almost everything there is to write about the man has already been written. Then I thought, why not write about Sachin and food? Not many know what a big foodie he is, and it could make for a nice birthday column. So, here it is.
Sachin enjoys his food, and that’s no secret. So much so that once he went out for a meal with Anjali and ordered multiple dishes at one go. Anjali, naturally, didn’t order anything, thinking Sachin had ordered for both of them. To her surprise, Sachin asked her to order, saying that whatever he had ordered was for himself and that he would eat it all!
But the funniest food-related encounter happened in Rio during the 2016 Olympics. Sachin had a fracture in his leg at the time and was in a cast. I remember telling him that in Brazil he wouldn’t have the issue of being mobbed and could come out to the beach with us if he wanted, and have breakfast at one of the beach shacks. Sachin loved the idea and immediately agreed.
When we reached the beach, all we wanted was an omelette sandwich and coconut water. But everything on the menu mentioned meat, and it was a challenge communicating to the shop owner that we didn’t want any meat in our breakfast. That’s when I found a gentleman who understood English and requested him to help us out. He had been observing us and must have had an inkling that the man with me was someone special.
When he asked who Sachin was, I said he was the greatest cricketer ever. It didn’t strike a chord, as the man didn’t follow cricket. That’s when I asked him if he followed football, being Brazilian. He did, and was a huge Messi fan despite being from Rio. I then asked him if he knew Pelé. The moment I did, his eyes lit up.
“Pelé,” he said. “Pelé is God.”
That was my chance. I told him that in India, Sachin was like two Pelés. He too is God for millions. The man didn’t say much and simply nodded.
He then went on to explain to the shop owner what we wanted, and we were served the most delicious omelette sandwiches. As we were about to finish the meal, we could see a small crowd building up. None of us had any idea what was going on. That’s when I spotted our friend getting the crowd to stand in a queue.
Curious, I asked him what had happened and why he had come back.
“You said he is like two Pelés,” he said. “So I called my family and friends to take photos with two Pelés. We won’t get this opportunity.”
I was stumped. Sachin had a smile on his face and obliged everyone present. When it was all over, we just burst out laughing. “Two Pelés” still remains a fond memory!
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news
The post One Sachin = Two Pelés = Delicious Omelette – Tendulkar the Foodie on Copacabana Beach appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
Comments
Post a Comment