Salman Khan, a Worthy Ambassador to the Olympics?

The Olympics is the biggest stage in the world for athletes to compete and prove their mettle and bring glory to the nation. Most athletes, especially the ones in India have had to defy many odds to be able to compete on various stages of such massive scale. With a movie star being appointed as an ambassador to athletes who have put up with so much to be where they are, the appointment of the new ambassador has sparked controversies as actors and athletes rally to sides both favoring and opposing the decision of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

 

The arguments to the said topic are twofold. On one hand, athletes such as Milkha Singh and Yogeshwar Dutt believe that only an athlete can truly understand the effort, the grit and the determination that is required to make it into the Olympics, and as such, the competing athletes deserve someone who has gone through the same experiences as they have, to serve as an ambassador to the Olympics, to encourage them to put in the necessary man hours, and to comfort them and egg them on when they get butterflies in their stomach.

 

On the other hand, it is imperative that India as a country gets more all round support from both the government and the public, to actively scout for and develop latent talent in various competitive sports and athletics divisions. A public figure as well-known as Salman Khan can attract the required fan and financial following to bring this to fruition. Or at least that is the defense the IOA and athletes such as Mary Kom have taken up. The problem here would be Khan’s commitment and loyalty to the cause. If the move is just another marketing stunt to promote his upcoming movie ‘Sultan,’ this whole charade is only going to do more harm than good. On the other hand if ‘Bhai’ can actually deliver on his promises, then the decision could have proven to have some value.

 

Either way one thing is clear, in the theatre of sports, Salman Khan has done little to earn the honor of being the goodwill ambassador to the Rio Olympics. However, he has the potential to popularize Olympics in India and to push it as a sporting event, giving it the attention it so richly deserves. This will hopefully encourage the authorities to divert more resources into furthering the training and development of the participants, for both this year and the years to come, giving India a better chance at winning more medals in at least the upcoming years, if not this time. The field of sports is one that requires much practice, dedication and preparation for success. Using the platform as a ploy to market a movie is sacrilege, and is disrespectful to the athletes who have been through hell to be able to represent the nation. If Salman Khan is to go through with this, it has to be with unwavering dedication to the cause. To read more on RIO Olympics 2016 click here.