Speaking at an event on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, renowned cricketer Sachin Tendulkar spoke against the endorsements for tobacco and related products. He said he had rejected several offers for such endorsements to fulfil his promise to his father.
“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,” Tendulkar was quoted by The Statesman.
“This was a promise I made to my father. He told me I am a role model and a lot of people will follow what I do. That is why I have never endorsed tobacco products or alcohol. In the 1990s, my bat didn’t have a sticker on it, I didn’t have a contract. But everybody else in the team was endorsing two brands in particular – Wills and Four Square,” he said.