Akshay
Kumar
has
a
new
aspiration.
He
wants
to
learn
gymnastics
on
par
with
the
Russian
Olympics
winner
Ivan
Ivankov.
"My
favourite
Olympian
sportsperson
is
Ivan.
And
as
I
watch
his
skills
I
want
to
now
learn
it
so
that
I
could
apply
it
to
my
own
dancing
and
fights
on
screen.
I
think
gymnastics
are
the
hardest
and
most
dangerous
sports
in
the
world.
He
was
unbelievably
graceful.
Ivan's
agility
and
power
is
unbelievable.
I
want
to
try
for
it.
In
India
my
favourite
sportsperson
would
have
to
be
Sachin
Tendulkar."
And
cricket
is
the
sport
that
Akshay
needs
to
brush
up
for
a
forthcoming
film.
In
fact
the
actor
has
asked
the
star-batsman
to
give
him
tips
for
his
role
as
a
cricketer
in
a
forthcoming
film.
Says
Akshay,
"I
had
to
ask
my
director
for
a
few
days
off
from
his
tight
schedule
of
Khatta
Meetha.
He
kindly
agreed.
Now
I'm
very,
very
excited
to
be
part
of
something
as
prestigious
as
the
Winter
Olympics.
I
just
feel
the
whole
experience
will
be
truly
inspiring.
I
think
this
is
one
of
the
biggest
happenings
in
my
life.
"I'm
going
to
be
so
proud
to
have
so
many
Indians,
Sri
Lankans
and
Asians
cheering
for
me
when
I
run
with
that
torch.
I
know
a
lot
of
Indians
in
Toronto
because
it's
my
second
home.
I've
never
been
more
excited," said
Akshay
before
he
left.
Akshay
says
when
he
got
a
call
from
the
Canadian
Prime
Minister's
office
informing
him
that
he'd
be
carrying
the
Olympian
torch,
the
actor
didn't
tell
anyone.
"Until
it
happened,
I
didn't
believe
it
myself.
I'm
very
lucky
to
be
chosen
for
this
honour.
It'd
be
great
to
be
standing
on
the
same
platform
as
Arnold
Schwarzenegger.
I
wondered
why
they
chose
me!"
Akshay
feels
it
is
work
for
Special
Olympics
(physically
challenged
sportspersons)
that
did
clinch
the
Olympian
torch
in
his
favour.
"When
it
comes
to
sports,
I've
taken
up
a
lot
of
responsibilities.
When
I
joined
Special
Olympics
three
years
ago,
we
had
1.5
lakh
special
athletes.
Today
we
have
5
lakh
athletes.
Also
I'm
deeply
connected
with
Canada.
Toronto
is
like
my
second-home.
I
do
a
lot
of
charitable
work.
I
even
have
a
cancer
ward
in
my
father's
name
in
a
hospital
in
Toronto.
I
had
taken
my
father
for
treatment
to
Toronto
and
they
looked
after
him
really
well."
Looking
back
on
2009,
Akshay
says,
"It
was
not
a
professionally
rewarding
year
work-wise.
But
I
am
happy
with
De
Dana
Dan.
Next
year,
I'll
try
my
best
to
better
myself.
In
2010,
I've
Housefull
and
Action
Replayy,
all
commercial
cinema.
My
New
Year
resolution
is
to
only
do
films
that
will
entertain
audiences."