Sachin accepts IOA's invitation to become goodwill ambassador
<span style="color: #383636; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Tendulkar is the third goodwill ambassador roped in by IOA after Bollywood actor Salman Khan and ace shooter Abhinav Bindra.
<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #383636; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="color: #383636; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The IOA today confirmed that Tendulkar has accpeted its offer after the national Olympic body had invited the batting legend to come on board on April 29.
<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #383636; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="color: #383636; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">"Sachin Tendulkar has accepted our request to become goodwill ambassador of Indian contingent at the Olympics. We have received the official communication from him accepting our request," IOA Secretary General Rajiv Mehta told PTI.
<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #383636; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="color: #383636; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">"We are very happy to have an iconic sportsperson like Mr. Tendulkar on board as goodwill ambassador. We are thankful to him. We hope his association and the association of other goodwill ambassadors will take Indian sports forward," he added.
<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #383636; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="color: #383636; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The IOA's had approached Bindra, Tendulkar and celebrated music composer AR Rahman after its move to make actor Salman Khan the goodwill ambassador had drawn flak from many quarters, including wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and former athlete Milkha Singh, who had said the honour should be given to top sportspersons.
<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #383636; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="color: #383636; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The IOA Secretary General, however, said they are yet to get a confirmation from Rahman.
<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #383636; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="color: #383636; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">"Mr. Rahman is yet to communicate to us but we are hopeful that he will also accept our invitation," Mehta said.
<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #383636; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="color: #383636; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Asked about what specific role the goodwill ambassadors would play, Mehta said: "These iconic sportspersons and celebrities will spread the idea of Olympic movement in every nook and corner of the country, every village, block and city of India. They will help in building up a sporting culture in this country. We need a sporting culture if we want to become a sporting country.”
