Damage limitation? IOA asks Tendulkar, Rahman to be Rio ambassadors, Yogeshwar welcomes decision

New Delhi: Drawing flak for naming Salman Khan as the Indian Olympic contingent’s goodwill ambassador, the IOA has now approached cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and Oscar-winning music composer A R Rahman to take up the same role along side the controversial Bollywood star. [caption id=“attachment_2755804” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sachin Tendulkar and AR Rahman. News 18[/caption] “We are in communication with Sachin Tendulkar and A R Rahman to become brand ambassadors of the Indian Olympic contingent. We are yet to get their reply,” said Indian Olympic Association (IOA) vice president Tarlochan Singh. “We will rope in more people. Salman Khan will also remain,” he added. Salman’s appointment as goodwill ambassador had kicked up a storm last week when star wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and sprint legend Milkha Singh questioned the move even though the IOA and some other athletes backed the decision. Salman, who is playing the role of a wrestler in his upcoming film ‘Sultan’, was named goodwill ambassador by the in the presence of star woman boxer M C Mary Kom, hockey captain Sardar Singh, and shooter Apurvi Chandela among others. Yogeshwar started the debate by tweeting that Salman has done nothing to merit such an appointment but the IOA stood firm on its decision and said that it would rope in more icons from cricket, music and other sports to motivate the Olympic contingent ahead of the Games in August. Yogeshwar, a London Olympic bronze-medallist, welcomed the IOA’s decision to approach Tendulkar. “I welcome the IOA’s decision to rope in Sachin as brand ambassador of the Indian Olympic contingent. Jai Hind,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

भारतीय ओलम्पिक संघ(IOA) द्वारा भारत के महान खिलाड़ी @sachin_rt को भारतीय दल का GoodWill ambassador बनाए जाने का ससम्मान स्वागत हैं।जय हिंद🇮🇳

— Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) April 29, 2016