US President Donald Trump has been facing public ridicule for his hilarious mispronunciation of Indian names during his India visit. While addressing a crowd of over one lakh people at a cricket stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday, Trump changed the pronunciation of the business capital of Gujarat when he pronounced it as Ababad. He said, “Five months ago, the United States welcomed your great prime minister at a giant football stadium in Texas and today India welcomes us at the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ababad (Ahmedabad).” The crowd cheered loudly.
But Trump wasn’t done yet with his mispronunciation of famous Indian names. His next target was Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and 19th century Hindu reformer Swami Vivekananda. Trump said, “The life of Prime Minister Modi underscores the limitless promise of this great nation. He started out by his father’s side as a ‘chee (chai) wala’, a tea-seller…As the great religious teacher, Swami Vive-kamunund once said…Some of the world’s greatest cricket players from Soochin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli.”
President Trump managed to mangle his pronunciation of several Indian names and a Hindi word on an otherwise successful first day of his state visit to India https://t.co/M80NPJhuA8 pic.twitter.com/7ASqR7OfVe
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 24, 2020
Poking fun at Trump’s mispronunciation of Sachin Tendulkar’s name, the world governing body of cricket tweeted with a funny gif, “Sach-
Such- Satch- Sutch- Sooch-Anyone know?”
Sach-
Such-
Satch-
Sutch-
Sooch-Anyone know? pic.twitter.com/nkD1ynQXmF
— ICC (@ICC) February 24, 2020
American daily show host Trevor Noah too mocked Trump for his failed attempts at pronouncing famous Hindi words.
Trump had arrived in India on a two-day visit with his wife Melania Trump on Monday.