New Delhi: India's iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been hand-picked by the president of India for a seat in the country's house of Elders, the Rajya Sabha. Tendulkar, who turned 39 on Tuesday and became the first person to score 100 centuries at the international level this year, has already been tipped as one of the favorites to win India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday formally approved Sachin Tendulkar's candidature on Thursday along with other dignitaries such as glamorous actress Rekha, renowned businesswoman Anu Aga, among others. All the names were first recommended by prime minister Manmohan Singh to the union home ministry who later forwarded it to the president of India for formal clearance. Article 80 of the Indian Constitution allows the President to nominate 12 persons, who are specialists in their field of expertise. Political parties across ranks have welcomed Tendulkar's entry into the House of Elders. Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury said: “It will look nice if he comes to Parliament. It will encourage sports.” The opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and parliamentarian Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “Sachin is a great player. We are proud of him. If Sachin is being nominated surely he would devote some time to the Parliament.” Born in Mumbai, Sachin made his debut in the international cricket arena in the late 1980s at the age of 16. Tendulkar has since won most individual batting records up for grabs and is regarded as the greatest player to have ever played the game.
