Speaking for the first time after he was nominated for a Rajya Sabha seat, Tendulkar acknowledged that the honour bestowed on him was for his contribution to the field of cricket.
"I am not a politician. I am a sportsman and will always remain one. I am not going to enter politics giving up cricket, which is my life. I will continue to play cricket," he said during a felicitation function by a private firm here.
Tendulkar said many eminent persons, including melody queen Lata Mangeshkar and actor Prithviraj Kapoor too, had been nominated by the President for their contribution in their respective fields.
"Cricket is my expertise. I would like to contribute to that field. I am a sportsman and I will always be a sportsman," he said.
Replying to a question on his scoring the 100th international hundred, Sachin said winning the World Cup was his most cherished dream, for which, he waited for close to 22 years.
"John Wright (the then coach) had told me in 2003 that I could become the first player to score hundred centuries. One has to keep chasing dreams till they come true," said Tendulkar.
"Sometimes, success is waiting round the corner and one should always think of taking that extra step to achieve it," he said. PTI HBJ NP PDS
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