shot-button
Subscription Subscription
Home > Sports News > Other Sports News > Article > Twitterati hand sports minister Vijay Goel gold for his Rio Olympic gaffes

Twitterati hand sports minister Vijay Goel 'gold' for his Rio Olympic gaffes

Updated on: 16 August,2016 08:18 AM IST  | 
mid-day online correspondent |

Indian Olympic contingent's goodwill ambassador Salman Khan and India's Sports Minister Vijay Goel have something in common and Twitterati is making sure that the world knows

Twitterati hand sports minister Vijay Goel 'gold' for his Rio Olympic gaffes

What's common between sports minister Vijay Goel and Salman Khan?

What common between Indian Sports Minister Vijay Goel and Indian Olympic Goodwill Ambassador Salman Khan? After all, both inhabit different worlds -- one is from politics and the other Bollywood.


Well, the two do share a common link.


A huge controversy erupted over the Bollywood superstar, who is the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) goodwill ambassador for the Indian team to Rio Olympics 2016, goofed up on August 7th.


India
India's Dipa Karmakar competes in the women's vault event final of the Artistic Gymnastics at the Olympic Arena during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 14, 2016. Pic/ AFP

At the trailer launch of his brother Sohail Khan's film 'Freaky Ali', Salman committed a faux pas twice when he forgot the name of India's star gymnast Dipa Karmakar.

The 50-year-old star called her Deepika and then Dipti, but not her actual name -- Dipa.

Salman committed the blunder on a day when Dipa made history by becoming the first Indian to qualify for the individual vault finals in her debut Olympics after finishing eighth in the qualifying round.

Salman first addressed the Olympian as Deepika. What followed was hilarious and tragic at the same time. A journalist in his effort to correct the Khan said that the gymnast's name was Dipti. Salman nodded and said, "Yes, Dipti".

Exactly one week later, the sports minister echoed Salman's goof up. 

Vijay Goel misspelt 'Pride of India' Dipa Karmakar's name on Twitter.

He compounded the mistake by wishing athlete Srabani Nanda with the image of Dutee Chand.

Goel tweeted out a good luck message to the gymnast just before her vault final but wrote 'Karmanakar' instead of 'Karmakar'. And to make matters worse, he tweeted with his image instead of Dipa's.

The Indian gymnast missed out on a historic medal in the women's vault competition by a whisker as she finished a creditable fourth in the final of the Rio Olympic Games 2016.

The tweet was deleted later.

Sports Minister Vijay Goel
Sports Minister Vijay Goel

The minister would surely have 'won' medals for his controversies at Rio till now. Starting off the Rio fiasco with his 'entourage' and the minister himself entering venues without accreditation, taking selfies galore and misspelling Dipa to now mistaking one athlete for another.

Twiteratti had a field day blasting the minister.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!


Mid-Day Web Stories

Mid-Day Web Stories

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK