Former Indian cricket Captain Sourav Ganguly has backed Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the Goodwill ambassador of India’s Olympic contingent. The 43-year old admittedly said that glamour is an important aspect to popularise a sport.
During a TV debate, he said, “Salman’s inclusion brings visibility for other sports, which it has been lacking. I personally am okay with him being the ambassador. I think the decision making party should bring in more ambassadors from different fields. One from the entertainment sector and one from the core sporting angle, nowhere is it written that they can have only one ambassador.”
He added, “There have been several athletes who have made India proud across the years, they can be included with Salman. Salman will help reach the masses, which is also one of the reasons for the popularity of cricket. Glamour, entertainment and sport should walk hand in hand together.”
Ganguly cited examples of multi-sport games such as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games to highlight the importance of glamour. He added, “If you see tournaments such as the Olympics and CWG, there are opening ceremonies, which add a glamour quotient. Similarly, Salman is the same for Indian sports. The same model has been successful in Indian Super League (ISL).”
The Bengal Tiger also went onto criticise, India’s reaction to such issues. He added, “The major problem with people in India is that they jump to conclusion, without thinking about it. It carries on for a few days, and the dust then settles. A week later people will not even remember it. It’s important to understand how glamour has helped ISL, IPL as well.”
However, he remained adamant on the roping in of a ‘legend,’ as a second brand ambassador.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
