Sachin Tendulkar wins Laureus Sporting Moment award for 2011 World Cup win

In yet another milestone for master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, the legendary batsman being lifted on the shoulders of his teammates after their 2011 World Cup win at Mumbai was on Monday (February 17) voted the Laureus best sporting moment in the last two decades.

Tendulkar, playing in his sixth and last World Cup, finally succeeded in lifting the prestigious trophy when then India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit a six off Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Kulasekara to beat Sri Lanka in the final at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

The Indian cricketers ran to the ground within no time and lifted Tendulkar on their shoulders and made a lap of honour, a moment which billions of cricket fans across the world can never forget.

Former Australian skipper Steve Waugh handed the trophy to Tendulkar. "It's incredible. The feeling of winning the world cup was beyond what words can express. How many times you get an event happening where there are no mixed opinions. Very rarely the entire country celebrates," Tendulkar said after receiving the trophy.

"And this is a reminder of how powerful a sport is and what magic it does to our lives. Even now when I watch that it has stayed with me. My journey started in 1983 when I was 10 years old. India had won the World Cup. I did not understand the significance and just because everybody was celebrating, I also joined the party. But somewhere I knew something special has happened to the country and I wanted to experience it one day and that's how my journey began. It was the proudest moment of my life, holding that trophy which I chased for 22 years but I never lost hope. I was merely lifting that trophy on behalf of my countrymen," added Tendulkar.

Notably, Tendulkar, 46, is the highest run-getter in the cricket world. Talking about Laureus trophy, he said that it has also given him great honour. Sharing the impact of revolutionary South African leader Nelson Mandela on his life, Tendulkar said that he got the chance to meet him when he was just 19.

"His hardship did not affect his leadership. Out of many messages he left, the most important I felt was that sport has got the power to unite everyone. Today sitting in this room with so many athletes, some of them did not have everything but they made the best of everything they had. I thank them for inspiring youngsters to pick a sport of their choice and chase their dreams. This trophy belongs to all of us, it's not just about me," remarked Tendulkar.