Rio Goodwill Ambassador Salman Khan considers every Indian sportsperson a superstar

In his bid to boost the morale of the Rio-bound Indian Olympic contingent, Bollywood superstar and 'Goodwill Ambassador' Salman Khan on Thursday said that each and every member of the squad are true superstars in their own right and deserve "love and support" from every quarter.

"For me, each and every sportsperson in the Indian Olympic contingent is a superstar. They prepare for four years and have a few minutes, sometimes a few seconds to perform on the world's biggest stage," Salman said in a statement.

He added the sportstars deserve country's "love, support and cheer."

Aiming to put the spotlight on athletes and energise fans to motivate them to be at their best, the 50-year-old "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" star has started a campaign to introduce the players with a tweet. A hashtag has been created for the campaign #MakeIndiaProud. The campaign is called 'India's Olympic Stars'.

Salman's statement comes amid the controversy regarding his appointment. While fans and his colleagues from Bollywood have hailed Indian Olympic Association's decision, many sportspersons including have criticised the actor's appointment saying sports don't need film celebrities for promotion.