When it comes to national anthem, everything else takes a backseat: Sachin Tendulkar

Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, on Thursday, said that India’s national anthem takes precedence over everything else in the world. Speaking at an event to honour the 69th anniversary of the induction of the national anthem in the Indian constitution, the Master Blaster said: "I saw a lot of actors coming together, great musicians coming together, our armed forces coming together, and each time, the National Anthem is something you stand up to and sing along and it never fails to give you goosebumps."

The right-handed batsman further recalled the time when he played Pakistan at the 2003 World Cup. "But it goes to a different level altogether, when you are playing against Pakistan in 2003 World Cup and standing inside stadiums in the middle of the ground with 60,000 people singing Jana Gana Mana," he said.

He further added: "When you sing Jana Gana Mana, your head is always raised high, but when you sing it at the ground, your chest is also filled with pride."

Recalling the 2011 World Cup final, the 45-year-old said: "When we played in Mumbai in 2011 World Cup final, I can never forget that experience. The entire stadium singing Jana Gana Mana still reverberates in my ear."

He added that nothing takes precedence over India’s national anthem. It is the proudest feeling I have ever felt in my life. We have achieved so many goals, but when it comes to National Anthem, everything else takes the backseat."

Apart from Sachin, several other sportstars, including Sunil Gavaskar, Baichung Bhutia, Dhanraj Pillay, Gagan Narang, Sania Mirza, and Mahesh Bhupathi also talked about the importance of National Anthem in their lives. At the end of the video, all the sportstars sang the anthem in unison.