Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently engaged with the Indian Olympians, celebrating their return from the Paris Games with six hard-earned medals.
Addressing the athletes at his residence on Thursday, PM Modi emphasized that in sports, there are no losers, only learners, and applauded the team’s achievements.
“You haven’t returned as losers; you’ve returned with the pride of our nation,” the Prime Minister stated, underscoring the invaluable experiences the athletes gained during the competition.
He highlighted that sports is a unique field where every participant grows, regardless of the final result.
During the interaction, PM Modi was keen to know about the athletes’ experiences off the field, curious about the friendships they forged and the lessons they learned from their international counterparts.
“You might have seen things there and thought, ‘It would be wonderful if we had something similar in our country,'” PM remarked, hinting at the potential for future growth in India’s sports infrastructure.
The Prime Minister personally greeted the athletes, singling out the youngest Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat, along with shooters Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh, and Swapnil Kusale, and members of the Indian men’s hockey team.
He also took time to capture moments with the athletes, sharing in their pride and joy.
As a gesture of gratitude, hockey veterans P R Sreejesh, captain Harmanpreet Singh, and Aman Sehrawat presented PM Modi with India jerseys and a hockey stick, symbolizing the spirit and unity of the team.
India’s contingent, comprising 117 athletes across 16 sports disciplines, brought home six medals, one silver and five bronze.
Despite falling short of surpassing their record performance at the Tokyo Olympics, the athletes’ efforts were commendable.
Shooter Manu Bhaker made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a shooting medal at the Olympics, also marking the first time in the post-Independence era that an Indian athlete secured multiple medals in a single Olympic edition.
Together with Sarabjot Singh, she also became part of the first Indian shooting pair to win an Olympic medal.
Swapnil Kusale’s bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event further solidified India’s position in shooting, marking a historic achievement with India’s best-ever medal tally in a single sport at the Olympics.
In athletics, Neeraj Chopra secured a silver medal with a javelin throw of 89.45m, becoming only the third Indian to win medals in two consecutive Olympics.
His efforts added another chapter to India’s growing legacy in athletics.
The men’s hockey team, bronze medalists in Tokyo, continued their strong performance by winning another bronze in Paris, securing India’s 13th Olympic medal in hockey, a record-extending achievement for the nation.
PM Modi’s interaction with the athletes was a testament to the nation’s pride in their accomplishments and a reminder that their journey, filled with both challenges and triumphs, serves as an inspiration to all.
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