MID-DAY (August 18, 2016)

Salman Khan found himself in the thick of a controversy after he was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador of the Indian Contingent for Rio Olympics 2016. Yesterday, the actor announced on his official Facebook account about awarding every Indian Olympic athlete a prize money of Rs 1 lakh for participation at the prestigious sporting event.

His post read, “As a gesture of appreciation for our Olympic athletes, I will present each one with a cheque of Rs 1,01,000. The government is very supportive of sports. Each of us can also do our bit to encourage a sports nation. I admire the work that Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) is doing to shape tmrw’s champions (sic).”

In a recent interview, Akshay Kumar had also stressed on the importance of cash awards apart from medals since most sportspersons come from humble backgrounds.