India’s hockey midfielder Hardik Singh, who was a part of the Paris Olympic squad that bagged the bronze, shared in a podcast that the hockey stars were ignored by people at the airport, and were more keen to meet the viral Nagur-based tea seller, Dolly Chaiwala. Expressing his disappointment during his interaction on the SMTV YouTube podcast, Singh said, “I saw it with my own eyes, at the airport. Harmanpreet, I, Mandeep; there were five-six of us. Dolly Chaiwala was also there. People were getting themselves clicked with him and did not recognise us. We started looking at each other. Harmanpreet has scored more than 150 goals, Mandeep has more than 100 field goals." The viral clip was shared on X by the handle The Khel India. Watch here: Hardik recalled this shocking incident on the SMTV YouTube podcast. “I saw it with my own eyes, at the airport. Harmanpreet , I, Mandeep, there were 5-6 of us. Dolly Chaiwala was also there. People were getting themselves clicked with and did not recognise us" pic.twitter.com/cI0Cqk4NYV — The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) September 27, 2024 The video accumulated numerous reactions from social media users, deeming the incident as “shameful.” A user wrote, “It is very sad that no one even knows those who are pride of the country. And on the other hand, there are those who know him only through tea. It is ironic that just a few days ago, people were cheering for him in the Olympics.” Another user commented, “This is so shameful, our Indian hockey team deserves much better.” “High time that we love and respect all sports and not just cricket,” a third user said. “We are in a country where getting famous doesn’t require talent,” another user wrote. Who is Dolly Chaiwala? Sunil Patil aka Dolly Chaiwala gained worldwide recognition after he collaborated with Microsoft’s co-founder Bill Gates. The Nagpur-based tea seller is known for his peculiar way of making tea, a favourite beverage in the country. Recently, a Kuwait food vlogger claimed that Patil charges Rs 5 lakh for events and demands luxury hotels for stay.
