Salman Khan to present Rs 1 lakh to every athlete representing India at Rio Olympics
Salman Khan
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on Wednesday announced that he will be presenting each Indian olympian with a cheque of Rs 1 lakh as a ‘gesture of appreciation’ for their efforts at the Rio Olympics.
Salman, who is the goodwill ambassador for the Rio Olympics, made the announcement on his micro-blogging account on Wednesday afternoon. The actor tweeted, “As a gesture of appreciation for our Olympic athletes, I will present each one with a cheque of Rs1,01,000.”
The actor also went on to add that government is very supportive of sports and that we as a nation should do our part to encourage sports in the nation.
Before the start of the Olympics, the actor’s appointment as the goodwill ambassador was mired with controversy, with senior sportspersons like Milkha Singh and Yogeshwar Dutt among others voicing their displeasure over the selection of a Bollywood actor.
Later, at the trailer launch of his brother Sohail Khan’s film ‘Freaky Ali’, the actor skirted another controversy when he forgot the name of olympian Dipa Karmakar, calling her Deepika and then Dipti.
Earlier this week Yash Raj Films also also announced that they would give Rs 10 lakh cash award to the Indian athletes who win gold for the country at Rio Olympics.
India this year sent its biggest ever contingent to the Olympics, with 121 athletes, including 54 women. However, with five days remaining, India is yet to win a medal. If no athlete or team wins a medal, it would be the first time in 24 years that India would be left with a tally of zero medals.
As a gesture of
appreciation for our Olympic athletes, I will present each one with a cheque of
Rs1,01,000.
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) August 17,
2016
The government is very
supportive of sports . Each of us can also do our bit to encourage a sports nation .
—
Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) August 17,
2016
I admire the work that
Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) is doing to shape tmrw’s champions .
— Salman Khan
(@BeingSalmanKhan) August 17,
2016
And also companies like
Edelweiss, Jio and others who have come forward to support the Olympics.
— Salman Khan
(@BeingSalmanKhan) August 17,
2016
