Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary: Difference between revisions

{{use dmy dates|date=February 2013}}

'''Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary''' (born 1981 in [[Muzaffarpur]], [[Bihar]]),<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-11-27/others/28066689_1_cricket-fever-team-india-fans|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105171331/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-11-27/others/28066689_1_cricket-fever-team-india-fans|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 November 2012|title=Cricket fever hits Kanpur|last=Bajpai |first=Shalabh Anand|author2=Sumit Jha |date= 27 November 2009|work=[[The Times of India]]|accessdate=15 February 2010}}</ref><ref name=bangla>{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070516/sports.htm|title=Sachin fan pedals to Bangladesh|date=15 May 2007|work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]|accessdate=15 February 2010}}</ref> also called '''Sudhir Kumar Gautam''',<ref name=bangla/> is an Indian teacher who is [[fan (person)|fan]] of the [[Indian cricket team]] and [[Sachin Tendulkar]].<ref name=dna>{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_a-fan-who-gifts-sachin-1000-litchis-every-year_1099369|title=A fan who gifts Sachin 1,000 litchis every year|date=27 May 2007 |work=[[Daily News and Analysis|DNA]]|accessdate=15 February 2010}}</ref><ref name=apology>{{cite news|url=http://thatscricket.oneindia.in/news/2009/11/24/police-apologise-to-sachin-fan.html|title=Police apologise to Sachin fan|date=24 November 2009 |work=That's Cricket|accessdate=15 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/domestic-cricket/ranji-trophy/Lahli-goes-berserk-for-Sachin-Tendulkar/articleshow/24773135.cms | work=The Times Of India | title=Lahli goes berserk for Sachin Tendulkar - The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/70668/Sports/Sachin:+A+player+who+is+the+game+itself.html |title=Sachin: A player who is the game itself |last=Ali |first=Qaiser Mohammad |date=13 November 2009 |work=[[India Today]] |accessdate=18 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091117130028/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/70668/Sports/Sachin:+A+player+who+is+the+game+itself.html |archivedate=17 November 2009 }}</ref><ref name=que>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/34232/|title=Fans queue up outside Wankhede |last=Nayudu |first=Vinay |date=28 October 2003|work=[[Indian Express]]|accessdate=15 February 2010}}</ref> He is widely recognised for attending every home match the Indian team has played since 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060212/sports.htm|title=Briefly|date=12 February 2006|work=The Tribune|accessdate=15 February 2010}}</ref> For some overseas tours, he also collects funds from the cricket loving public.<ref name=bangla/> He is usually seen in stadium with his body painted in the [[Flag of India|national colours of India]], waving the national flag in the live telecast of the matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricinfo.com/columns/content/story/296783.html|title=A snake charmer and an investment guru|last=Binoy|first=George|date=4 June 2007|work=[[Cricinfo]]|accessdate=15 February 2010}}</ref><ref name=ticket>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1540753.cms|title=Sachin is this fan's match ticket|date=31 January 2007|work=Times of India|accessdate=18 February 2010}}</ref>

Sudhir Choudhary was born in a very poor family in a semi-rural place of [[Muzaffarpur]], [[Bihar]]. He became obsessed with Indian cricket and a fan of Sachin Tendulkar at the age of 6. He left his studies at the age of 14 when he was in his secondary school. He is unemployed, having previously worked for a milk company and trained as a teacher.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricages.com/others/a-die-hard-fan/|title=Sudhir Choudhary – A Die-Hard Sachin Fan|year=2011|work=cricages.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825200834/http://www.cricages.com/others/a-die-hard-fan/|archive-date=25 August 2011|accessdate=22 August 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He postponed his marriage so that he could watch all the matches played by the Indian cricket team,<ref name="ticket2">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1540753.cms|title=Sachin is this fan's match ticket|date=31 January 2007|work=Times of India|accessdate=18 February 2010}}</ref> and wants to follow the team all over the world, wherever it plays.<ref name="ticket2" /> This style of living followed by Sudhir Kumar has made his parents unhappy,<ref name="ticket2" /> and he once threatened [[self-immolation]] if he was not assured of watching all cricket matches played by the Indian cricket team.<ref name="dna2">{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_a-fan-who-gifts-sachin-1000-litchis-every-year_1099369|title=A fan who gifts Sachin 1,000 litchis every year|date=27 May 2007|work=[[Daily News and Analysis|DNA]]|accessdate=15 February 2010}}</ref> He declared that his life is dedicated to watching Indian cricket matches and he lives his life on public support.<ref name="dna2" />

Sudhir Kumar is one of three principal roles of a documentary film ''Beyond All Boundaries'' which tells the stories of three different personalities of Indian cricket and he is shown as a super fan of the sport.<ref name="beyond2">{{cite news|last=Bhattacharya|first=Buddaditya|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/being-a-sport/article5222502.ece|title=Being a sport|date=11 October 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|accessdate=13 November 2013|location=Chennai, India}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Beyond All Boundaries|date=2013-04-01|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2428368/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl|accessdate=2015-08-09}}</ref> Made by film maker Sushrut Jain, the film shows details about the personal life of Sudhir Kumar.

 

After the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, Sudhir keeps cheering for the Indian cricket team sporting "Miss-U Tendulkar" on his body.

Since 2003, Sudhir Chaudhary's passion has been to watch cricket matches played by India and to support the team. By April 2010, he had attended approximately 150 matches, often traveling by bicycle to reach the venue of match.<ref name="bbc1">{{cite news|last=Sugavanam|first=Saisudha|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8636516.stm|title=India's most devoted cricket fan?|date=22 April 2010|work=[[BBC News]]|accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref> He sometimes pedals his cycle to cricket playing venues, as he did to [[Bangladesh]] to witness a cricket match in 2007 <ref name="bangla2">{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070516/sports.htm|title=Sachin fan pedals to Bangladesh|date=15 May 2007|work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]|accessdate=15 February 2010}}</ref> and to [[Lahore]], Pakistan in 2006.<ref name="ticket3">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1540753.cms|title=Sachin is this fan's match ticket|date=31 January 2007|work=Times of India|accessdate=18 February 2010}}</ref> To save money, he sometimes braves ticketless travel in trains to reach venues.<ref name="bbc1" /><ref>http://www.cricketcountry.com/cricket-articles/Sachin-Tendulkar-s-most-dedicated-fan-to-complete-a-decade-of-god-worship/32398</ref> When attending cricket matches, he paints his body with the tri- colour, the colours of India flag, and he usually paints the name of Tendulkar on his chest.<ref name="fan2">{{cite news|last=Lokapally|first=Vijay|url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/i-get-affection-from-sachin-and-match-tickets/article5340142.ece|title='I get affection from Sachin… and match tickets'|date=12 November 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|accessdate=11 November 2013|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> He carries a conch with him and blows the conch to announce the arrival of the Indian cricket team.<ref name="fan2" /> Sudhir Chaudhary paints his body on the previous day of a match and skips sleep that night to preserve the paint on his body.<ref name="fan2" /> He cycled for 21 days from Muzaffarpur, Bihar to Mumbai to watch Sachin play for India against Australia on 28 October 2003<ref name="que2">{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/34232/|title=Fans queue up outside Wankhede|last=Nayudu|first=Vinay|date=28 October 2003|work=[[Indian Express]]|accessdate=15 February 2010}}</ref> and this was the first tri-series match where he started supporting India by waving Indian tri-colour.<ref name="laha">{{cite news|last=Laha|first=Somshuvra|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sachinretirement/sachin-s-fan-sudhir-just-likes-waving-the-flag-for-him/article1-1147647.aspx|title=Sachin's fan Sudhir just likes waving the flag for him|date=6 November 2013|newspaper=Hindustan Times|accessdate=13 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109003701/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sachinretirement/sachin-s-fan-sudhir-just-likes-waving-the-flag-for-him/article1-1147647.aspx|archive-date=9 November 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

During the World Cup, Sudhir sported a kooky crown - a replica World Cup trophy. Sudhir's crowning moment came on April 2, 2011, the day India defeated Sri Lanka in the final at [[Wankhede Stadium]], Mumbai, to become the world champions. Sachin Tendulkar himself signaled Sudhir who was sitting among the cheering Indian fans, to come to the Indian dressing room and join the team's celebrations.<ref name="fan">{{cite news|last=Lokapally|first=Vijay|url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/i-get-affection-from-sachin-and-match-tickets/article5340142.ece|title='I get affection from Sachin… and match tickets'|date=12 November 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|accessdate=11 November 2013|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> Tendulkar asked [[Zaheer Khan]] to bring the World Cup over. Tendulkar shook hands with Sudhir Gautam, hugged him and finally let him lift the cup from Zaheer’s hands. Tendulkar allowed Sudhir to hold the World Cup along with him and Sudhir celebrated the occasion by posing for photographs.<ref name="espn">{{cite web|last=Sharda|first=Ugra|title=Three tales from Indian cricket|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/657579.html|publisher=espn crick info 4.8.2013|accessdate=13 November 2013}}</ref>  Sudhir chanted ’India’ as he lifted the [[ICC Cricket World Cup 2011]] trophy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Chakravartty|first=Sougat |title=Sudhir Choudhrie: The ultimate devotee of Indian cricket|url=http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/10/15/sudhir-kumar-chaudhary-the-ultimate-devotee-of-indian-cricket/ |publisher=sportskeeda.com|accessdate=17 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Barton|first=Joe|title=Superfan readies for Sachin's last stand