By selecting Sallu as Olympics ambassador, India has let down its sports heroes
Here I was thinking all along that talent and discipline makes a successful sportsman. But I was obviously living in some parallel universe. After all, when someone as renowned a writer as Salim Khan says "sportsmen are performing because of sports lovers like us", he must be right. After all he, along with Javed Akhtar, wrote the iconic Sholay and imagination is his forte, reality sadly mine.
Sportsmen are performing because of sports lovers like us.
— Salim Khan (@luvsalimkhan) April 25, 2016
Salman Khan is my favourite Bollywood star. It is a bit relative, of course, but I like to cheer for the "bad boy". It is a bit similar to the ending of a Bollywood blockbuster with all its melodrama and hope for redemption. I also like to believe that Salman's "Being Human" was more out of love for humanity and less a brainchild of his father as many continue to whisper.
And in just one tweet, Salim Khan managed to humiliate the handful of men and women who have been sweating night and day for the last few years in a cricket-crazy country just to reach closer to their Olympic dream.
Salman khan may not have competed but is an A level swimmer cyclist and weight lifter
— Salim Khan (@luvsalimkhan) April 25, 2016
Strangely, for all the brickbats Salman has recieved, his ex-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai Bachchan seems to be on his side finally. But even the shock of that hasn't managed to convince social media.
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| Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt has vehemently criticised the decision to have Salman as India's goodwill ambassador for the Olympics. |
Despite the fun and games on Twitter, this time Salim Khan may just have gone a bit too far. Milkha Singh, or the "Flying Sikh", as he is remembered, is legendary. But Salim Khan insists the movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag brought a man most of India reveres, back from oblivion. But thankfully, there are still some sane voices within the industry.
Could the film be made if Milkha Singh wasn't the man he was & did not achieve what he did in the first place?We all know,NOT. Hence,respect
— Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) April 25, 2016
There is no denying, however, our obsession with Bollywood. Once, at an event to felicitate Olympic bronze medallist Mary Kom, clippings of Priyanka Chopra who played the boxing champion in a movie were shown instead of the real five-time world champion. It is not just at the expense of sports though. It seems there were hardly any options left.
Another Bollywood bigwig Aamir Khan was earlier the brand ambassador for "Incredible India", the government of India's campaign to encourage tourism. But soon the government thought his words were reeked of intolerance which threatened to make visitors run away from the country instead of being attracted to it. His replacement, the great Amitabh Bachchan is neither in nor out. It's a matter of whether the Panama Papers will get him first or he will make them irrelevant. So far, he seems to be winning.
It is no secret that sportspersons in India who don't play cricket have struggled to get the hysterical recognition that even a small-time Test player gets. But never doubt that there is talent in non-cricket sports in India and these sportspersons have delivered.
Leander Paes, who is another of my favourites, is considered one of the all-time great doubles players in tennis. He is still winning Grand Slams, though he is over 40 years of age, Abhinav Bindra remains the only Olympic gold medal winner for India and Prakash Padukone is a former All England Badminton Champion and also leading actress Deepika Padukone's father. That should have got Padukone bonus points and the authorities some free attraction along the way.
Our officials think glamour will solve the problems of Indian sports. Maybe if they actually knew a sport or cared enough they would have realised better facilities and finances that are not siphoned off can do that job better. If Salman had to be roped in it should have been done years ago when he could have actually contributed somehow, but then maybe they were a bit unsure till now. Imagine a brand ambassador being in jail!
So a bunch of youngsters passionately sacrificed everything they could over the last few years to make their country proud. But now instead of them becoming household names as they should have, a Bollywood celebrity has taken away all the spotlight. But Indian authorities are probably too busy posing with Salman or booking their free ticket to Rio to realise the damage they have done.
Maybe, Salman chose the right role at the right time, playing a wrestler in his forthcoming movie Sultan. But the real wrestler who actually won a bronze in the last Olympics has the final word, asking Salman "Kyun pagal bana rahe ho desh kee janta ko? (Why are you fooling the people of the country?)"
Kahi bhi ja Kar apni movie ka promotion kare,Es desh me adhikar hai Lekin Olympic movie promotion ki jagah Nahi https://t.co/ed6vCqNMXT
— Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) April 23, 2016