Salman Khan defends his Olympic ambassador appointment

Salman Khan’s appointment as Goodwill ambassador had created a huge controversy with several sports stars criticizing the move. Milkha Singh and Yogeshwar Dutt were some of the stars involved and they publicly criticized the Indian Olympic Association and star for the move.

After weeks, Salman Khan in an interview to the Hindustan Times has cleared the air about the appointment and lashed out at the media for double standards. Questioning why the former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and music maestro AR Rahman’s appointment was not embroiled in controversy, Salman Khan said “The media should have done the same when Sachin and Rahman were roped in. Why didn’t that happen? Why didn’t the media give them the same coverage that they gave me? In their case too, while one isn’t a sportsperson, the other has only played one sport. Does Rahman need a state level certificate or a national-level medal to be called a sportsperson? In fact, all the kids who have tried out certain sports and haven’t won a medal, aren’t sportspersons? All the kids who follow a sportsperson aren’t sportspersons? So why just pick me?”

One of the major issue raised about his controversy was Salman Khan’s past criminal records. Responding to that he said,” So you have issues with one person who has court cases becoming the Olympics goodwill ambassador. But there are so many politicians who have court cases against them? Desh zyaada important hai ya Olympics? Mere liye toh desh is most important,” Salman told Hindustan Times. 

“So I am ready to leave my post as the ambassador if the politicians also leave. There are so many people who have scams, corruption, and rapes but they are still there?” he said to the Hindustan Times.

(Also read - An Open letter on Salman Khan's appointment as Olympics ambassador)

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