Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Asian Games medallists on Thursday at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium. He linked their success to a "New India" and reiterated the country's ambition to host the 2036 Olympics. Modi said, "These medals are not merely numbers. They represent a powerful image of a New India."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday linked India's performance at the Asian Games to the emergence of a "New India", while reiterating the country's ambition to host the 2036 Olympic Games and establish itself as a credible destination for major international sporting events.
Modi met India's Asian Games medallists, including the gold-winning men's and women's cricket teams, at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi. Congratulating the athletes for their achievements, the Prime Minister said their medals represented much more than a tally, reflecting the country's growing sporting ambitions and its increasing presence on the international stage.
"These medals are not merely numbers. They represent a powerful image of a New India," Modi said.
"You have made 140 crore Indians proud. The biggest success is to make the tri-colour fly high. That's why your success is not just yours but it belongs to crores of our countrymen. I congratulate you on behalf of the entire country," he said.
MODI REITERATES 2036 OLYMPICS AMBITION
The Prime Minister also highlighted India's ambition to host the 2036 Olympics, saying the country was strengthening its credentials as a venue for major international sporting competitions.
"India is emerging in establishing itself as a credible and hospitable country for international sports events. We are bidding for 2036 Olympics and it is our resolve that we will host the games," Modi asserted.
India has been seeking to position itself as a destination for major global sporting events, with the Olympics representing a significant long-term ambition. Modi's remarks underlined the government's focus on translating the country's sporting progress into greater opportunities to host international competitions.
The interaction also provided an opportunity to acknowledge the performances of athletes across disciplines, with Modi particularly praising the contribution of women to India's medal tally.
WOMEN ATHLETES EARN SPECIAL PRAISE
India finished the Asian Games with 85 medals, including 21 gold. While the tally was lower than the 106 medals won at the previous edition in Hangzhou, India's Games debutants made a significant contribution, accounting for 41 medals.
Modi singled out the women's contingent for its achievements, noting that women athletes had won 38 medals, including 11 gold.
"I especially want to congratulate our women athletes, they contributed 38 medals to our tally and 11 of those medals were gold," he said.
The Prime Minister also praised India's cricket and hockey teams, along with the archers, who secured five gold medals at the continental event.
He reserved special appreciation for the women's hockey team, which ended a 44-year wait for gold at the Asian Games.
"The women's hockey team ended a 44-year wait with its gold medal, it is highly appreciable," Modi said.
BUILDING A STRONGER SPORTS ECOSYSTEM
Modi credited India's sporting progress to sustained efforts to develop the country's sports ecosystem, stressing that achievements at major events were the result of years of hard work and dedication.
"Sankalp aur sapne ek din mein poore nahi hote (Dreams are not achieved in a day). It takes years of hard work and dedication. In the last 12 years, India has shown patience and worked hard to create a sports ecosystem," he said.
"There was a time when India would win few medals at big event. The country did not know so many sports. We resolved to end this pessimism and the result is our increasing representation on the global stage," he added.
Modi also pointed to the importance of transparency in the country's sporting system, saying, "A transparent system is in place for sports now."
ATHLETES PRESENT MEMORABILIA
The meeting featured several moments of celebration, with athletes presenting the Prime Minister with sporting memorabilia, including signed jerseys and a bow from 17-year-old recurve archer Kumkum Mohod. The young archer won two gold medals, in the individual and women's team events, and a silver in the mixed team competition.
The contingent was accompanied by senior officials from their respective governing bodies, including International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah and Indian Olympic Association president P T Usha.
The men's T20 team, led by Shreyas Iyer, attended ahead of its match against the West Indies in Bengaluru on Saturday. The women's team was also present before its T20I against Zimbabwe in Raipur on Friday.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who captained the women's team to Asian Games gold before stepping down from the role, presented Modi with a jersey signed by the medal-winning squad. Her successor, Smriti Mandhana, also posed for photographs with the Prime Minister.
Golfer Pranavi Urs presented Modi with her glove and a golf ball in a frame.
The interaction brought together India's medal-winners and sporting administrators as the country looks to build on its achievements and pursue its ambition of hosting the world's biggest sporting event in 2036.