"My Father Told Me...": Sachin Tendulkar On Not Starring In Tobacco Ads

Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar said it is very important to be aware and disciplined about fitness to achieve goals in life, adding that he got many offers to promote tobacco products but refused them all. He was speaking at an event after being named the "Smile Ambassador" for Maharashtra government's Swachh Mukh Abhiyan (SMA) - an oral hygiene campaign - on Tuesday. The campaign was launched in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

"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," the 50-year-old said.

"Good oral health is good overall health," Mr Tendulkar added.

He also emphasised on the important of fitness saying that it helped him achieve goals in his life.

"I used to play a lot as a child, but as fascinated by cricket. As I grew older, I became more aware about the need to be disciplined about my fitness since I realised that it won't be possible to achieve your goals if you are not fit," said the former cricketer.

Mr Tendulkar said keeping fit has now become a trend but it shouldn't be about your looks, mental fitness and oral hygiene is equally important.

"Fifty per cent of the children have oral diseases, and it impacts their life. But nobody is bothered about it. Such a thing can damage their confidence," he added.

The oral hygiene campaign is a national campaign by the Indian Dental Association (IDA) to improve oral health and hygiene and educate Indians about the importance of good oral hygiene.