NEW DELHI: “You either love your country or you don’t. Even as a common citizen, you can do your bit to keep your country clean by not littering, if you truly love it.”

Winning huge accolades with these words, Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Ambassador Sachin Tendulkar said: “If every person in our country gives even one hour of their time every year, we can have billion-plus cleaning hours every year!"

Speaking at a function organized by the Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry in association with UNICEF to meet the Swachh Bharat Champions Collectors across 22 States, Tendulkar expressed his support for the Swachh Bharat team and congratulated the champions on their achievements and determination for making India Swachh and Open Defecation Free. “I feel like a part of this team”, he said.

Tendulkar also shared with the collectors his experiences of grit, determination and hard work from the cricketing field and as Swachh Bharat ambassador.

Speaking about the World Cup 2011 finals, he said, “When that moment came in 2011, when we walked inside the stadium, I knew that we were steps away from achieving our goal. At that moment, we felt the good wishes of a billion people with us. The same good wishes of the people of our country are with you today, on your path to creating a Swachh Bharat.”