Hema Malini Backs Salman as India's Olympic Goodwill Ambassador

Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini has come out in support of Bollywood star Salman Khan, who is under fire from the sporting fraternity after he was named as India's Goodwill Ambassador for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Hema Malini, who is the Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha MP from Mathura, called the decision to appoint Salman Khan as the Goodwill Ambassador a good move.
"Salman is a big celebrity. What's wrong in using him? Why should his other works be ignored for just one mistake? It is wrong to bash celebrities," said Hema Malini.

Congress leader and actor Raj Babbar, too, supported Hema Malini’s views. "We should not make a controversy about it. It is good if sports is getting promoted and if Salman is being made the ambassador," said Babbar.

Salman's appointment as Goodwill Ambassador o
f the Indian Olympic contingent has come under severe criticism from Olympians Yogeshwar Dutt and Milkha Singh.
Dutt, a star wrestler, and sprint legend Milkha questioned the move even as IOA and some other athletes backed the decision. Dutt favoured cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar over Salman as the Goodwill Ambassador.
Salman, who is playing the role of a wrestler in his upcoming film 'Sultan', was named Goodwill Ambassador by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Saturday in the presence of star woman boxer MC Mary Kom, hockey captain Sardar Singh, and shooter Apurvi Chandela among others.