Sachin Tendulkar's childhood coach Ramakant Achrekar dies at 87, cricketing fraternity mourns him

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Mumbai, January 2: India cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli's childhood coach Ramakant Achrekar passed away at the age of 87 on Wednesday (January 2).

Born in 1932, Achrekar and played a significant role in shaping up the career of India's most popular cricketer over the years.

He was a respected coach who trained young cricketers at Mumbai's Shivaji Park in Dadar. Tendulkar, who went on to become one of the greatest batsmen the game has ever witnessed, has always credited Achrekar Sir for his success.

Tendulkar, the only cricketer who holds the record of scoring 100 tons in the international cricket and the first male batsman to slam a double century in the ODIs, always visited Achrekar sir on Teacher's Day and Guru Purnima to highlight the importance of a good coach.

Achrekar was bestowed with the prestigious Dronacharya Award for outstanding coaches in sports and games in 1990. In the year 2010, Achrekar was also honoured with the Padma Shri, country's fourth highest civilian honour, for his service towards the sport.

Achrekar Sir was also felicitated with the lifetime achievement award, along with South African batting legend and former India coach, Gary Kirsten, by Sports Illustrated.

In his biopic 'Sachin - A Billion Dreams', the Indian cricketing legend narrated how Achrekar Sir would take him from one ground to the other on his scooter to help his pupil get batting practice in his early days.

This is how the cricketing world and fans reacted to the news of Achrekar Sir's demise:

BCCI:

VVS Laxman:

Ayaz Memon:

Mohammed Kaif:

Rajdeep Sardesai:

Cricket Fan: