In his seminal film on Indian hockey, Chak De India, Shah Rukh Khan had played a coach who shapes a ragtag bunch of women players into a world championship-winning team. Now, SRK will encourage youngsters to play the sport of their choice in his capacity as an ambassador of the University Cricket Championship.
“SRK is going out of his way to motivate youngsters,” says a source. “For his association with UCC, he hasn’t charged a single penny. As someone who played hockey, cricket and football in school and college, he realises that taking up sports at an early age could well be life-changing for young girls and boys.”
The actor has always encouraged his son and daughter’s participation in sports, and wants other parents to do so too.
“Parents should know that it (sports) can be a salaried job. And by sports, I don’t mean just cricket. I am passionate about everything, be it cricket, hockey, football or badminton. Investing in the Indian Premier League is for me, a way to promote sports as a profitable career option for youngsters,” the superstar says.
As for why his association with UCC doesn’t have any monetary benefits, SRK says simply, “I am passionate about a lot of things and do not necessarily look for a business angle to all of them.”