Donald Trump’s first official visit to India has kicked off with the US president struggling to pronounce the names of some of India’s most revered sports stars.
During a public rally in Gujarat with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at the Motera stadium – the world’s largest cricket venue – Mr Trump stumbled over the names of batsman Sachin Tendulkar, and Indian national team captain Virat Kohli.
“This is the country where your people cheer on some of the world’s greatest cricket players, from Soo-chin Tendul-kerr to Virot Kohl-ee,” Mr Trump told the audience.
Despite Mr Trump’s lack of pronunciation preparation, the mention of the cricketers prompted applause from the 100,000 people in the stadium.
On Twitter, reaction was mixed as numerous people were delighted the US president had singled out the cricketers for a special mention, however Mr Trump’s unique pronunciation did not escape critique.
“Donald Trump just called Sachin Tendulkar ‘Soo Chin tendulkar’ LMAO,” said Darpit Kunder.
“What an embarrassment,” wrote another person in reaction to the footage.
Others noted other hiccups in the US president’s pronunciation of names.
During the meeting, Mr Modi also struggled with pronunciation, welcoming the US president "Doland Trump", generating amusement among Indians.
Mr Trump’s mention of Tendulkar comes 10 years to the day since the cricketer became the first to score a double century in one day international cricket.
Mr Trump’s 36-hour visit to India aims to deepen ties with India, but a long-awaited trade deal between the two countries is not expected to be reached yet.
