New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met the Indian contingent participating in the Commonwealth Games 2022 at his residence.
The Prime Minister, while especially appreciating the performance of female players in the Commonwealth Games, said that the way our daughters have dominated in sports like boxing, judo, and wrestling is amazing.
The Prime Minister interacted with the players to learn from their experiences and encouraged them to continue in future sports competitions. He added that the entire nation is proud of the achievements of our athletes in sports.
Before the start of the Commonwealth Games, he had promised that when they returned, we would all celebrate Vijayotsav together. He said he believed that they were going to come out victorious, and his management was also that no matter how busy it would be, Modi would make time for them and celebrate the victory.
The Prime Minister said that in the last few weeks, the country has made two major achievements in the field of sports. Along with the historic performance in the Commonwealth Games, the country has organised a Chess Olympiad for the first time. He said, continuing our rich tradition, we also did well in chess and congratulated all the medal winners.
Referring to the interest of Indians in sports, he said that crores of Indians were awake at night watching sports events. Many people slept with alarms to keep up with the games.
Further, Modi said that this time we have created a new way of winning in four new games as compared to last time. From lawn bowls to athletics, there has been phenomenal performance. He said the inclination of youth towards new sports in the country is going to increase a lot.
Appreciating the performance of women players, Modi said that the way our daughters have dominated sports like boxing, judo, and wrestling is amazing. He said that all of you not only give a medal to the country, not only give an opportunity to celebrate and be proud, but also strengthen the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat. You inspire the youth of the country to do better not only in sports but also in other sectors.
He said that the power of the tricolour had been seen in Ukraine some time ago. The tricolour had become a protective shield not only for the Indians but also for the people of other countries coming out of the battlefield, he added.
The Prime Minister expressed happiness over the fact that many players who came off the Khelo India stage have performed exceptionally well this time. The positive effect of Topas is also being seen. We have to intensify our efforts to discover new talent and take them to the podium.
He said that last time I had requested you to encourage children by visiting 75 schools and educational institutions in the country. He continued under the ‘Meet the Champion’ campaign, saying many colleagues have done this work in the midst of engagements and asked them to continue with this campaign. union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and Minister of State for Sports Nisith Pramanik were also present on the occasion.
The Indian contingent has performed brilliantly in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Indian players won a total of 61 medals, including 22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze. India finished fourth in the medal tally after Australia, England, and Canada.
