Iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is all set to become thefirst Indian sportsperson to be conferred with the Membership of the Order ofAustralia, an honour "rarely" bestowed on non-Australians.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard made theannouncement on Tuesday while visiting acricket clinic here and said Tendulkar would receive the honour from SimonCrean, Minister for the Arts and Minister for Regional Australia, when hevisits India.
The 'Order of Australia' is an order of chivalry torecognise Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or formeritorious service. The 39-year-old Tendulkar will be awarded an AM, which isone of the six grades in the Order of Australia.
"Cricket is of course a great bond between Australiaand India. We are both cricket-mad nations. I am very pleased that we are goingto confer on Sachin Tendulkar, Membership of the Order of Australia (AM),"Gillard told reporters here.
"This is a very special honour very rarely awarded tosomeone who is not an Australian citizen or an Australian national. He is awayplaying cricket - surprise, surprise but the award will be conferred on him byminister Crean when he visits India," she said.
"So, a special honour and a very special recognition ofsuch a great batsman. The honour is very special and Sachin is a very specialcricketer."
Tendulkar, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, will become onlythe second Indian after former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee to get thehonour.
Sorabjee was made an Honorary Member of the Order ofAustralia (AM) "for service to Australia-India bilateral legalrelations" in 2006.
