‘Sportsmen do not need Bollywood for promotion’

Gautam Gambhir, who is having a dream run with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing Indian Premier League, said that a “sportsman would have been a better choice” as a goodwill ambassador of the Indian contingent for the Rio Olympics instead of Bollywood star Salman Khan.

The Indian Olympic Association recently named Salman as their choice for the event to be held in August.

“A sportsman would have been ideal, could be somebody like Abhinav Bindra who has won medals for India in Olympic sports (shooting). People like him have done massive things,” said Gambhir here on Monday.

The cricketer believes sport and the entertainment industry are not connected. “Sportsmen do not need Bollywood or the film industry, they do not need publicity; it could be the other way round,” added Gambhir.

However, he praised his Delhi mate Virat Kohli for his consistency. “Confidence is key to his success, you need that to prolong your form in international cricket,” he said.