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Salman Khan As India Goodwill Ambassador, A Good Idea ?
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan\'s appointment as the Indian Olympic contingent\'s goodwill ambassador has kicked up a storm with star wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and sprint legend Milkha Singh questioning the move even as the IOA and some other athletes backed the decision.
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's appointment as the Indian Olympic contingent's goodwill ambassador has kicked up a storm with star wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and sprint legend Milkha Singh questioning the move even as the IOA and some other athletes backed the decision.
The first prominent voice of dissent came less than an hour after the Indian Olympic Association unveiled the actor as a goodwill ambassador at an event featuring Olympic medallist Mary Kom and other Indian sportstars. Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, who bagged bronze in the 2012 London Olympics, took to Twitter to question Salman Khan's Olympic role. "What is the purpose of an ambassador? Stop fooling the people of this country," Dutt wrote in the first of a series of tweets.
Without naming Salman Khan, he added: "This country gives you right to go and promote your movie anywhere but Olympics is not the place for movie promotion." This was a veiled reference to Khan's next film Sultan, where he portrays a wrestler from Haryana. Dutt also questioned what Khan had done for sport to deserve his new role.
On Sunday, sprinting legend Milkha Singh struck a similar tone when he said sportspersons should be the real ambassadors of the country at the Olympics.
Apart from his lack of sporting credentials, it's the actor's reputation that had several eyebrows raised. His fate remains in the balance in a 2002 hit-and-run case, where an appeal challenging the actor's acquittal has been admitted. Khan's appeal against his conviction in a blackbuck poaching case is also currently being heard.
Indian Olympic Association officials stood by the decision, saying that Salman Khan's star power would attract the youth. They insisted that the actor had not charged a fee.
Meanwhile, on social media, Salman Khan's diehard fans stood firm in the belief that their idol could no wrong and was the perfect choice for ambassadorial role.
Salman Khan was a swimming champ in his school days & was tipped 2 represent India at international events
— Sana (@SanaAfsal) April 23, 2016
SALMAN Ambassador For Olympics
Dear milkha singh salman khan is appointed as brand ambasdor because india should rule in olympics as he rule in bollywood..
— shubham kumar (@sarthikshubham) April 24, 2016
Salman Khan is perfect as ambassador for olympics
— Chikoo (@TweetErrant) April 24, 2016
1. Shooting
2. High jump
3. Cycling
4. Wrestling pic.twitter.com/R7NjAzbxUZ
Newly manufactured aiming boards for Indian Shooters in honour of Salman Khan as Olympics Goodwill Ambassador. pic.twitter.com/gD8wZC7kbm
— Smoking Skills (@SmokingSkills_) April 24, 2016
