Karim Benzema and Kaka scored late goals to give Real Madrid an emphatic 3-0 win at APOEL Nicosia in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.
The nine-times European champions dominated the match but APOEL, the first Cypriot side to reach the last 16 of Europe's premier club competition, defended solidly to frustrate their Spanish opponents until the last 15 minutes.
The arrival of Kaka as a substitute midway through the second half created the breakthrough, the Brazilian producing a superb cross from the left for the diving Benzema to head powerfully home after 74 minutes.
Kaka slotted in the second goal from eight metres following a surging run down the left by his fellow substitute Marcelo and Benzema struck again in the last minute to put the La Liga leaders firmly on course for the semi-finals.
"It took us a long time to open the score but that had a lot to do with our opponents who played very well," Real coach Jose Mourinho told reporters.
"They don't have the outstanding individual talent that other teams in the Champions League have but in terms of organisation and character they are fantastic," the Portuguese added.
"They created many difficulties and I think we won the game because we played well. What they did was fantastic, and we had to play at optimum strength to win, they were fantastic on defence and they deserve our respect."
APOEL's Brazilian defender Marcelo Oliveira was carried off on a stretcher after pulling his hamstring early in the match but the home side initially made light of his absence.
Benzema missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring late in the first half, the French striker inexplicably directing the ball over the bar from close range with the goal gaping.
APOEL failed to register a shot on the Real goal but the Spanish side became increasingly frustrated by their inability to break through.
Cristiano Ronaldo caused problems without going close to scoring and it needed the introduction of Kaka to provide the spark for Real.
The playmaker cleverly set up the first goal for Benzema with a pinpoint cross and clinically converted Marcelo's cutback before Mesut Ozil crossed for Benzema to tap in his second.
APOEL coach Ivan Jovanovic said his side had become frustrated after the first goal.
"The truth is we were well organised, at least on defence, but certainly, some disappointment set in after the 75th minute. There was some disappointment and I would say afte the goal we lost some concentration," he told Sigma Sports.
APOEL chairman Phivos Erotocritou said APOEL were proud of their achievements.
"We have our head held high. It has been really special, we are very proud that we got to this point. It is certainly not a result to be ashamed of, we are very very proud we got to this point."
The second leg in Madrid takes place next Wednesday
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tendulkar available for entire IPL: MI
Sachin Tendulkar will be available to play the entire duration of the upcoming Indian Premier League after returning from London where he has gone for a medical consultation for a toe injury, the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise team spokesman said.
"I can categorically say Sachin Tendulkar (captain of Mumbai Indians) is available for the entire duration of the IPL. He has gone to London just for consultation (about his toe injury) and is scheduled to be back on March 31. There is no question of any surgery," the spokesperson said, reports Times of India.
"He will also be there for the opening ceremony (on April 2) at Chennai and for the opening encounter (on April 4 against defending champions Chennai Super Kings)," the spokesman added.
The MI clarification came after it was learnt from a source in the Cricket Board that the return of the champion batsman, after his consultation in London with a specialist, was uncertain as even a surgery might be needed to put a question mark on his participation for the entire duration of the Twenty20 League.
"Yes, Sachin Tendulkar has gone to London for consultation about his toe injury. He has been playing with this injury for long. It is not sure when he will return as even a surgery may be needed to correct it," the BCCI source said earlier.
The Indian Premier League is all set to commence on April 4 in Chennai, where Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians, last year's runner-up will take on Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings at the M A Chidambaram Stadium.
Tendulkar, who notched up his 100th international ton in the recently-concluded Asia Cup, did not attend the BCCI-organised felicitation function of the retired batsman Rahul Dravid last evening at a hotel near his residence, as he had already left for England.
The toe injury is a decade-old but it came back to haunt him and upset his plans to play the ODI series in England last September after a not-too-successful run in the four-Test series that preceded it.
The senior cricketer was withdrawn from the team sheet before the first ODI, which was washed out. And then the BCCI issued a statement, saying that Tendulkar had been ruled out of the series "due to a toe injury".
Tendulkar had consulted a specialist in London after suffering the injury and was advised four weeks' rest.
He came back to play the Test rubber against the West Indies at home after missing the Champions League Twenty 20, which was won by Mumbai Indians under the stand-in-skipper Harbhajan Singh.
But after playing the Test series against the Windies, Tendulkar again opted to rest for the ODI series.
He went to Australia with an advance party of senior players including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Dravid and VVS Laxman to get acclimatised to the conditions Down Under when the limited over series against the West Indies was in progress.
Tendulkar played the Test series in Australia and then stayed on to take part in the triangular ODI series before playing the Asia Cup in Bangladesh where he achieved the long-eluding milestone of 100 tons in international cricket.
He had addressed the media in a lengthy session last Sunday, got feted by MI's owners Mukesh and Nita Ambani at their residence the next evening before flying off to London.
"Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar will be joining the in-progress camp at Wankhede Stadium from 31st March 2012 and is fully available for the entire IPL season 5. Sachin is in UK to consult his doctor and will be back in India to join the camp from 31st March," a statement issued by Mumbai Indians said.
"I can categorically say Sachin Tendulkar (captain of Mumbai Indians) is available for the entire duration of the IPL. He has gone to London just for consultation (about his toe injury) and is scheduled to be back on March 31. There is no question of any surgery," the spokesperson said, reports Times of India.
"He will also be there for the opening ceremony (on April 2) at Chennai and for the opening encounter (on April 4 against defending champions Chennai Super Kings)," the spokesman added.
The MI clarification came after it was learnt from a source in the Cricket Board that the return of the champion batsman, after his consultation in London with a specialist, was uncertain as even a surgery might be needed to put a question mark on his participation for the entire duration of the Twenty20 League.
"Yes, Sachin Tendulkar has gone to London for consultation about his toe injury. He has been playing with this injury for long. It is not sure when he will return as even a surgery may be needed to correct it," the BCCI source said earlier.
The Indian Premier League is all set to commence on April 4 in Chennai, where Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians, last year's runner-up will take on Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings at the M A Chidambaram Stadium.
Tendulkar, who notched up his 100th international ton in the recently-concluded Asia Cup, did not attend the BCCI-organised felicitation function of the retired batsman Rahul Dravid last evening at a hotel near his residence, as he had already left for England.
The toe injury is a decade-old but it came back to haunt him and upset his plans to play the ODI series in England last September after a not-too-successful run in the four-Test series that preceded it.
The senior cricketer was withdrawn from the team sheet before the first ODI, which was washed out. And then the BCCI issued a statement, saying that Tendulkar had been ruled out of the series "due to a toe injury".
Tendulkar had consulted a specialist in London after suffering the injury and was advised four weeks' rest.
He came back to play the Test rubber against the West Indies at home after missing the Champions League Twenty 20, which was won by Mumbai Indians under the stand-in-skipper Harbhajan Singh.
But after playing the Test series against the Windies, Tendulkar again opted to rest for the ODI series.
He went to Australia with an advance party of senior players including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Dravid and VVS Laxman to get acclimatised to the conditions Down Under when the limited over series against the West Indies was in progress.
Tendulkar played the Test series in Australia and then stayed on to take part in the triangular ODI series before playing the Asia Cup in Bangladesh where he achieved the long-eluding milestone of 100 tons in international cricket.
He had addressed the media in a lengthy session last Sunday, got feted by MI's owners Mukesh and Nita Ambani at their residence the next evening before flying off to London.
"Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar will be joining the in-progress camp at Wankhede Stadium from 31st March 2012 and is fully available for the entire IPL season 5. Sachin is in UK to consult his doctor and will be back in India to join the camp from 31st March," a statement issued by Mumbai Indians said.
Pakistan may bar players from BPL
Pakistan will not allow their players to feature in Bangladesh Premier League's second season if the country's cricket board decides against sending its national team for a much-awaited series, according to a Pakistan newspaper.
According to The News, Pakistan's cricket chiefs are extremely unhappy over Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) reluctance to send its team to Pakistan for a limited-overs series that is expected to the pave the path for the return of international cricket in the country.
"Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will block its players' participation in the second edition of BPL in case the Bangladeshis decide against sending their team to Pakistan," a source told the newspaper.
Pakistani cricket stars including their former captain Shahid Afridi were the single biggest reason why the inaugural edition of BPL which concluded on February 29 turned out to be a highly successful event.
Over 20 Pakistani cricketers featured in the BPL, a Twenty20 league that was Bangladesh's version of the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).
While top Pakistani cricketers like Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal just played in the final games of the event because of their series against England in the UAE, many of their other compatriots including fast bowler Mohammad Sami and opener Nasir Jamshed finished among BPL's biggest success stories.
BPL teams have roped in Pakistani cricketers for long-term stints but PCB can bar them from playing in the league.
"PCB believes that it has done everything possible for the smooth hosting of a home series against Bangladesh which is why it won't take any decision against the visit lightly," said the source.
"A negative call on the issue by Bangladesh is bound to strain cricketing relations between the two countries and the biggest loser could be the BPL," he added. Pakistan are desperate to host Bangladesh for a limited-overs series in Lahore and Karachi next month in its bid to revive international cricket in the country.
Pakistan have not hosted international teams since March 2009 when Sri Lankan cricketers were ambushed by terrorists in Lahore killing six policeman and a van driver. Several Sri Lankan players and one of their coaches were injured in the attack.
A Bangladeshi delegation visited Pakistan earlier this month to review security arrangements for the proposed series. Mustafa Kamal, the president of Bangladesh Cricket Board, who led the delegation, told senior PCB officials that he was satisfied with the security arrangements.
However, BCB has said that a final decision on the tour hinges on its government clearance.
According to The News, Pakistan's cricket chiefs are extremely unhappy over Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) reluctance to send its team to Pakistan for a limited-overs series that is expected to the pave the path for the return of international cricket in the country.
"Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will block its players' participation in the second edition of BPL in case the Bangladeshis decide against sending their team to Pakistan," a source told the newspaper.
Pakistani cricket stars including their former captain Shahid Afridi were the single biggest reason why the inaugural edition of BPL which concluded on February 29 turned out to be a highly successful event.
Over 20 Pakistani cricketers featured in the BPL, a Twenty20 league that was Bangladesh's version of the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).
While top Pakistani cricketers like Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal just played in the final games of the event because of their series against England in the UAE, many of their other compatriots including fast bowler Mohammad Sami and opener Nasir Jamshed finished among BPL's biggest success stories.
BPL teams have roped in Pakistani cricketers for long-term stints but PCB can bar them from playing in the league.
"PCB believes that it has done everything possible for the smooth hosting of a home series against Bangladesh which is why it won't take any decision against the visit lightly," said the source.
"A negative call on the issue by Bangladesh is bound to strain cricketing relations between the two countries and the biggest loser could be the BPL," he added. Pakistan are desperate to host Bangladesh for a limited-overs series in Lahore and Karachi next month in its bid to revive international cricket in the country.
Pakistan have not hosted international teams since March 2009 when Sri Lankan cricketers were ambushed by terrorists in Lahore killing six policeman and a van driver. Several Sri Lankan players and one of their coaches were injured in the attack.
A Bangladeshi delegation visited Pakistan earlier this month to review security arrangements for the proposed series. Mustafa Kamal, the president of Bangladesh Cricket Board, who led the delegation, told senior PCB officials that he was satisfied with the security arrangements.
However, BCB has said that a final decision on the tour hinges on its government clearance.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
UK airlines warn of Olympics airport chaos
Four of Britain’s leading airlines say the government must do more to prevent severe delays and disruptions at London airports during this summer’s Olympics.
Britain expects hundreds of thousands of visitors for the games, including more than 10,000 athletes and 20,000 media personnel.
British Airways, bmi, easyJet and Virgin Atlantic said in a letter to the government published Saturday that an Olympic surge in passengers means any security alert or bad weather could cause chaos unless special arrangements are made.
The airlines say disruption can be minimized if air traffic controllers agree to change their usual practice and give scheduled flights priority over charters and business jets.
The letter warns that “failure to respond leaves the U.K. vulnerable to the type of major disruption that will cause significant reputational damage and would be foolhardy and reckless.”
Airlines, government and aviation authorities are due to meet Thursday to discuss plans for the July 27-Aug. 12 games.
The Transport Department said that “a range of special measures” would reduce disruption.
“We are confident that the majority of these additional issues have now been addressed and we look forward to discussing them with the airlines concerned at a meeting next week,” the department said in a statement.
Azarenka beats Sharapova to win Indian Wells title
Victoria Azarenka routed Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-3 to win the BNP Paribas Open title on Sunday in the WTA Tour’s first final between the No. 1 and No. 2 players since 2008.
Azarenka broke Sharapova six times in improving her record to 23-0 this year, the best start to a season since Martina Hingis went 37-0 to open 1997. The top-ranked Belarusian earned $1 million for her fourth title of the year.
It was a rematch of the Australian Open final, which Azarenka won 6-3, 6-0 in January to keep Sharapova from regaining the No. 1 ranking. This time, Sharapova was error-prone during the 1 1/2 -hour match on a cold, windy day in the desert. The second-ranked Russian kept hitting close to the lines and missing.
No. 3 Roger Federer was set to play American John Isner in the men’s final later.
North Carolina rolls past Creighton 87-73 in NCAAs
John Henson proved he was healthy again, grabbing rebounds and blocking shots in his return from a wrist injury that seemed perfectly timed for North Carolina’s latest push for the Final Four. 
Now Kendall Marshall has his own wrist injury that could prove devastating for the Tar Heels.
Henson had a double-double in his first game back from a sprained left wrist, and North Carolina beat Creighton 87-73 in the third round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday. But Marshall broke a bone in his right wrist when he was fouled on a drive to the basket and knocked to the floor midway through the second half.
Coach Roy Williams confirmed the injury after the game, and said he would talk to Marshall and his parents about his status Sunday night. The point guard still finished with 18 points and 11 assists.
“When you go to the Sweet 16, it’s supposed to be a lot more fun than this,” an emotional Williams said afterward.
Marshall’s injury overshadowed what should have been an exciting win for the Tar Heels (31-5), the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional. They built a 15-point lead in the first half, then kept control and pushed the margin to 19 after the break on the way to their second straight double-digit victory. Their defense was good enough to slow the eighth-seeded Bluejays’ offense and make high-scoring forward Doug McDermott work for his points.
Then there was Henson’s return after missing the past three games with the wrist injury from last week’s Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
Instead, the Tar Heels are unsure whether they’ll have their most irreplaceable player—the guy who drives Williams’ fast-paced attack with unparalleled court vision and perfect pitch-aheads in transition—for the rest of the tournament.
“I just want to be here for my team,” said Marshall, his eyes red with emotion. “It is what it is. We’re not saying that I’m not going to play. We’re not saying that I’m going to play. Bottom line, it’s a fracture and now I have to deal with it.”
Williams cleared reporters out of the locker room to inform the team of Marshall’s injury, then headed to his postgame news conference. The rest of the players struggled with the news.
“We just don’t know what we’re going to do at this point in time,” sophomore Harrison Barnes said.
Marshall, who is left-handed, was hurt when he was knocked to the floor by Ethan Wragge on a drive with 10:56 left. He made the first free throw, then missed the second before leaving the game. He played about 7 more minutes before leaving for good with 1:54 left. Trainer Chris Hirth then examined Marshall’s right wrist on the bench.
The Tar Heels had already lost top perimeter defender and No. 2 ballhandler Dexter Strickland to a season-ending knee injury in January, leaving only freshman Stilman White to relieve Marshall for spot duty. If Marshall can’t go, the job would likely fall to White and versatile senior Justin Watts.
“It’s a little bit shocking,” White said. “I know for sure I didn’t expect it to be that bad. I know Kendall’s a really tough guy. It’s just a little bit of shock right now. That’s the great thing about coach Williams—he always figures something out.”
The Tar Heels will face surprising Ohio in the round of 16 on Friday in St. Louis. The 13th-seeded Bobcats advanced with a 62-56 victory over South Florida.
As for Henson, his return drew a roar from the home-state fans filling the Greensboro Coliseum, both when he jogged out with his teammates for pregame warmups and when he was introduced during the starting lineups.
Henson had 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots in 28 minutes. Much of the time, Henson looked like his old self, knocking down midrange jumpers or using his long frame to snatch rebounds or swat shots.
He drew a technical foul in the first half when he got angry and started jawing with Creighton’s Grant Gibbs—who had chopped at the ball in Henson’s hands in the paint. He also had a moment when he cringed after taking a blow to the hand on another foul, which forced Williams to pull him briefly in the first half.
“Yeah, it was a little weaker than I wanted it to be, and I wasn’t as strong with the grip as I wanted,” Henson said. “But hey, we got the win and that’s all you can ask for.”
Marshall’s injury overshadowed Henson’s return and the reunion of McDermott and Barnes, who teamed together to lead Ames High School in Iowa to consecutive state championships and unbeaten seasons. McDermott came in averaging about 23 points and eight rebounds, while Barnes was leading the Tar Heels in scoring at about 17 per game.
That matchup never materialized, with Henson and freshman James Michael McAdoo getting most of the defensive work against McDermott. McDermott finished with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Barnes had 17 points on 7-for-19 shooting, including back-to-back 3-pointers to turn away Creighton’s final push after the Bluejays had closed within 12 with about 5 1/2 minutes left.
“Right before the game, we just shared a moment, but once the game started, we were both competitive guys and it didn’t feel weird at all,” McDermott said. “I didn’t realize I was playing against my former teammate the whole time until the end and he’s a really good player.”
Creighton came in leading the country with a 50.7 percent shooting average, but it couldn’t figure out a way to put the on-the-attack Tar Heels on the defensive. Creighton shot 41 percent.
North Carolina hit 14 of its first 19 shots and built a 39-24 lead on Barnes’ 3-pointer with 5 1/2 minutes left. UNC led by eight at half, but Creighton never got closer after the break. The Tar Heels shot 51 percent for the game and improved to 31-1 in NCAA games played in their home state.
“We came here with every intention of winning this game,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. “You don’t get to this point if you don’t feel that way, regardless of who you’re playing.”
Friday, March 16, 2012
Little Master enjoys muted celebration
Dream successful.After waiting more than a year, India's Sachin Tendulkar finally became the first cricketer to score 100 international centuries during an Asia Cup one-day match against Bangladesh on Friday.
The 38-year-old further cemented his place as one of the greatest of cricketing greats when he stroked a single off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan to reach the landmark. He has scored 51 centuries in Tests and 49 in one-day internationals.
Tendulkar hit 10 boundaries and one six on the way to his hundred, which he reached off 138 deliveries on an easy-paced pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
The celebrations for his much-awaited target were muted and Tendulkar looked more relieved than elated after completing the 100th run.
He stood at the non-striker's end looking at his bat for a moment before thanking the heavens. He then raised his helmet towards the crowd, planted a kiss on the Indian cricket logo and was hugged by team mate Suresh Raina.
Tendulkar said the achievement had yet to sink in.
"It was a tough phase for me. Especially tough when you know that I started off this season batting reasonably well," a tired-looking Tendulkar told the NEO Cricket channel.
"I batted well in Australia. I felt at times I was luckless. Doesn't matter how many hundreds you score, you still have to put your head down, grind it out and do the job for the team.
"It hasn't sunk in but I have definitely lost about 50 kilos."
"DIFFICULT MENTALLY"
It took the greatest accumulator of runs in international cricket more than a year to score his coveted hundred after he reached 99 centuries with his 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in Nagpur on March 12 last year.
"Precisely a year ago when I got my 99th hundred no one spoke about it during the World Cup. And then it was I guess the media who started all these," Tendulkar added.
"Wherever I went, to restaurants, the house keeping, the room service, whoever I met just spoke about the 100th hundred.
"It became a little difficult mentally, because I am not playing only for my 100th hundred.
"The 99 hundreds that I scored, nobody spoke about them. Everyone had their opinion but eventually I have got to do what is important for the team."
India prime minister Manmohan Singh said Tendulkar was an inspiration for the country.
"I join the nation in congratulating Sachin Tendulkar on his making history - a hundred centuries," the prime minister's office said in a statement.
"He has made India proud. Tendulkar's long career has been a triumph of class, character and courage. Wish him many more innings and feats to continue inspiring the youth."
Tendulkar was finally out for 114 off 147 balls, hitting 12 boundaries and a six.
The 38-year-old further cemented his place as one of the greatest of cricketing greats when he stroked a single off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan to reach the landmark. He has scored 51 centuries in Tests and 49 in one-day internationals.
Tendulkar hit 10 boundaries and one six on the way to his hundred, which he reached off 138 deliveries on an easy-paced pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
The celebrations for his much-awaited target were muted and Tendulkar looked more relieved than elated after completing the 100th run.
He stood at the non-striker's end looking at his bat for a moment before thanking the heavens. He then raised his helmet towards the crowd, planted a kiss on the Indian cricket logo and was hugged by team mate Suresh Raina.
Tendulkar said the achievement had yet to sink in.
"It was a tough phase for me. Especially tough when you know that I started off this season batting reasonably well," a tired-looking Tendulkar told the NEO Cricket channel.
"I batted well in Australia. I felt at times I was luckless. Doesn't matter how many hundreds you score, you still have to put your head down, grind it out and do the job for the team.
"It hasn't sunk in but I have definitely lost about 50 kilos."
"DIFFICULT MENTALLY"
It took the greatest accumulator of runs in international cricket more than a year to score his coveted hundred after he reached 99 centuries with his 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in Nagpur on March 12 last year.
"Precisely a year ago when I got my 99th hundred no one spoke about it during the World Cup. And then it was I guess the media who started all these," Tendulkar added.
"Wherever I went, to restaurants, the house keeping, the room service, whoever I met just spoke about the 100th hundred.
"It became a little difficult mentally, because I am not playing only for my 100th hundred.
"The 99 hundreds that I scored, nobody spoke about them. Everyone had their opinion but eventually I have got to do what is important for the team."
India prime minister Manmohan Singh said Tendulkar was an inspiration for the country.
"I join the nation in congratulating Sachin Tendulkar on his making history - a hundred centuries," the prime minister's office said in a statement.
"He has made India proud. Tendulkar's long career has been a triumph of class, character and courage. Wish him many more innings and feats to continue inspiring the youth."
Tendulkar was finally out for 114 off 147 balls, hitting 12 boundaries and a six.
Little Master enjoys muted celebration
D successful.After waiting more than a year, India's Sachin Tendulkar finally became the first cricketer to score 100 international centuries during an Asia Cup one-day match against Bangladesh on Friday.
The 38-year-old further cemented his place as one of the greatest of cricketing greats when he stroked a single off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan to reach the landmark. He has scored 51 centuries in Tests and 49 in one-day internationals.
Tendulkar hit 10 boundaries and one six on the way to his hundred, which he reached off 138 deliveries on an easy-paced pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
The celebrations for his much-awaited target were muted and Tendulkar looked more relieved than elated after completing the 100th run.
He stood at the non-striker's end looking at his bat for a moment before thanking the heavens. He then raised his helmet towards the crowd, planted a kiss on the Indian cricket logo and was hugged by team mate Suresh Raina.
Tendulkar said the achievement had yet to sink in.
"It was a tough phase for me. Especially tough when you know that I started off this season batting reasonably well," a tired-looking Tendulkar told the NEO Cricket channel.
"I batted well in Australia. I felt at times I was luckless. Doesn't matter how many hundreds you score, you still have to put your head down, grind it out and do the job for the team.
"It hasn't sunk in but I have definitely lost about 50 kilos."
"DIFFICULT MENTALLY"
It took the greatest accumulator of runs in international cricket more than a year to score his coveted hundred after he reached 99 centuries with his 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in Nagpur on March 12 last year.
"Precisely a year ago when I got my 99th hundred no one spoke about it during the World Cup. And then it was I guess the media who started all these," Tendulkar added.
"Wherever I went, to restaurants, the house keeping, the room service, whoever I met just spoke about the 100th hundred.
"It became a little difficult mentally, because I am not playing only for my 100th hundred.
"The 99 hundreds that I scored, nobody spoke about them. Everyone had their opinion but eventually I have got to do what is important for the team."
India prime minister Manmohan Singh said Tendulkar was an inspiration for the country.
"I join the nation in congratulating Sachin Tendulkar on his making history - a hundred centuries," the prime minister's office said in a statement.
"He has made India proud. Tendulkar's long career has been a triumph of class, character and courage. Wish him many more innings and feats to continue inspiring the youth."
Tendulkar was finally out for 114 off 147 balls, hitting 12 boundaries and a six.
The 38-year-old further cemented his place as one of the greatest of cricketing greats when he stroked a single off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan to reach the landmark. He has scored 51 centuries in Tests and 49 in one-day internationals.
Tendulkar hit 10 boundaries and one six on the way to his hundred, which he reached off 138 deliveries on an easy-paced pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
The celebrations for his much-awaited target were muted and Tendulkar looked more relieved than elated after completing the 100th run.
He stood at the non-striker's end looking at his bat for a moment before thanking the heavens. He then raised his helmet towards the crowd, planted a kiss on the Indian cricket logo and was hugged by team mate Suresh Raina.
Tendulkar said the achievement had yet to sink in.
"It was a tough phase for me. Especially tough when you know that I started off this season batting reasonably well," a tired-looking Tendulkar told the NEO Cricket channel.
"I batted well in Australia. I felt at times I was luckless. Doesn't matter how many hundreds you score, you still have to put your head down, grind it out and do the job for the team.
"It hasn't sunk in but I have definitely lost about 50 kilos."
"DIFFICULT MENTALLY"
It took the greatest accumulator of runs in international cricket more than a year to score his coveted hundred after he reached 99 centuries with his 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in Nagpur on March 12 last year.
"Precisely a year ago when I got my 99th hundred no one spoke about it during the World Cup. And then it was I guess the media who started all these," Tendulkar added.
"Wherever I went, to restaurants, the house keeping, the room service, whoever I met just spoke about the 100th hundred.
"It became a little difficult mentally, because I am not playing only for my 100th hundred.
"The 99 hundreds that I scored, nobody spoke about them. Everyone had their opinion but eventually I have got to do what is important for the team."
India prime minister Manmohan Singh said Tendulkar was an inspiration for the country.
"I join the nation in congratulating Sachin Tendulkar on his making history - a hundred centuries," the prime minister's office said in a statement.
"He has made India proud. Tendulkar's long career has been a triumph of class, character and courage. Wish him many more innings and feats to continue inspiring the youth."
Tendulkar was finally out for 114 off 147 balls, hitting 12 boundaries and a six.
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