India Today Group presents Salaam Sachin – The biggest Farewell to Sachin Tendulkar

A Conclave honouring the greatest cricketing genius as he hangs up his boots

New Delhi. As Sachin Tendulkar readies to retire after his 200th test, an extraordinary farewell is getting planned at the India today group- “Salaam Sachin Conclave. The conclave is scheduled to take place in a city hotel in Mumbai on November 12, 2013.

After 24 years, there are few records the Little Master hasn’t broken. In his journey, there are a few people who’ve seen him grow from the young curly haired promising batsman to the time he became the first man to score 100 international centuries. Salaam Sachin Conclave will witness enthralling, informative & entertaining sessions with noted Sports personalities ranging from people like Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar and Anshuman Gaekwad who have seen Sachin grow through the years …. As well as his fierce rival Waqar Younis and close friends – Brian Lara and Saurav Ganguly.

The high point of the conclave will be Brian Lara sharing his opinion on Lara vs. Sachin in a never before session. Sachin is rated as the best batsman in his generation by many contemporaries, Indian audiences have always been curious on what Lara thinks about this comparison.

The viewers will get a glimpse of the learnings players like Suresh Raina and Gautam Gambhir drew from the legend. Sports personalities such as Sania Mirza, Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh will also share their views on how Sachin has been an inspiration to them and how he has handled unrivalled pressure for a long 24 years. Apart from the world of sports, the conclave will also have presence of Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan who will talk about Sachin being a Hero for every Indian. Sachin’s brother Ajit Tendulkar will share an account of how he encouraged Sachin to play cricket and how Sachin dealt with his most painful moments in life.

The conclave will include various sessions on Sachin’s life, his journey, his childhood, his achievements and his family. The first session on Sachin’s formative years will be delivered by his own sporting idol, Sunil Gavaskar, followed by a discussion between Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir and Irfan Pathan together talking on how Sachin Tendulkar is an inspiration for younger generation.

A special session will also see the prominent names from corporate India talking on how Sachin has been the biggest brand in Indian Sporting history.

The day will also have predictions from the cricketing greats in the session, “the Sachin era and the future” addressed by former Indian cricketers Ajit Wadekar, Bishan Singh Bedi, Anshuman Gaekwad and Kiran More. “Mumbai versus Bowral: The mantle of the Greatest” will be a subject of debate among cricketing greats Kapil Dev, Saurav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Brian Lara.

The conclave will also feature an exhibition of rare Sachin memorabilia by the well known British memorabilia expert Hamilton Bland.

Expressing his thoughts on the Salaam Sachin conclave, Aroon Purie, Chairman & Editor in Chief, India Today Group said, “The life of a legend cannot be better captured but by those who’ve shared rare moments with him. India’s imagination has been dominated for over 24 years by the finest batsman the world’s ever seen. From his younger days and to the ultimate match of a brilliant career – he stood for Indian hope and pride. Salaam Sachin should be and will be a fitting salute to the all time greatest ambassador of the game.”

Ashish Bagga, Group CEO, India Today Group, added “As the Man at the centre of India’s biggest passion signs out, it is important to express our gratitude to the legend. It has been an honour for many like us to watch him play and a few of us have also had the opportunity of interacting with him. With Salaam Sachin, we bring the world of Sachin fans closer to the Sachin they haven’t seen and the Sachin they are going to miss.”

The high points of the session will be telecast LIVE on Aaj Tak and Headlines Today along with over a 25 hour programming churned out of the conclave over the weeks.