The Prime Minister meets with athletes who returned from the Asian Para Games with a record haul of 111 medals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed their efforts as a “inspiration to the nation” and a “victory of human spirit over adversity,” and stated his administration is dedicated to provide the best facilities to the para-athletes in their pursuit of the podium.
On Wednesday, Modi met with the para-athletes at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi, following their record-breaking performance at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, where India won 111 medals. It was the best result at the continental event, with a 54% rise over the previous best performance in Jakarta five years earlier, and the 29 gold medals won were nearly twice as many as in 2018.
“Your greatest contribution to the nation has been overcoming obstacles. Many of you have had misfortunes and have lived with disabilities since birth, according to quotes from Modi obtained by PTI. “Your accomplishments are an inspiration to the country and a testament to the human spirit’s triumph over adversity.”
In his speech, Modi celebrated a historic year for Indian sports, highlighting victories such as Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal in the World Athletics Championships, the Thomas Cup title, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee’s historic bronze medal in Hangzhou, and Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s doubles gold medal at the Asian Games.
Modi remarked that the para-athletes’ performance was like the cherry on top. He declared, “These 111 medals are not just numbers, but 140 crore dreams.”
The athletes, their coaches, representatives from National Sports Federations, officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, including Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, and officials from the Indian Olympic Association and Paralympic Committee of India were present at the programme.
“The country had always produced good athletes but lack of financial support early came as a big hurdle in their way of excelling,” Modi added, restating India’s desire to organise the 2030 Youth Olympics and the 2036 Olympics.
Indian athletes have long been talented, but their progress has been hampered by a lack of funding or support. That outdated perspective has evolved in the last nine years of the government. Currently, individual sportsmen receive expenditures of 4-5 crore rupees. The government is focused on athletes and removing obstacles from their path,” he declared.
“The government’s big initiatives, like the Khelo India and Target Olympic Podium Scheme, can only ensure performance when potential is given the right platform,” Modi continued.
According to him, the athletes’ achievements are transforming the perception of sports in the nation, and many people are now considering making a career out of them. The prime minister declared, “Government’s approach today is athlete-centric.” “Performance equals Potential + Platform. Performance improves when potential is given the appropriate platform.
