Prime Minister Narendra Modi Meets Commonwealth Games Medal Winners, Praises Achievements and Support for Indian Sport
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently met with Indian medal winners from the Commonwealth Games, offering appreciation for their achievements. The interaction, held at his residence, included discussions with boxer Lovlina Borgohain and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, highlighting moments from their Games experience.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi specifically praised Lovlina Borgohain for her actions at a restaurant in Glasgow. Borgohain had objected to a distorted map of India, a moment the Prime Minister described as significant and memorable. She explained that she politely intervened after noticing the distorted map during celebrations following her medal win.
India’s contingent at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, comprising 122 athletes across ten sports, secured 39 medals, including 13 gold, 17 silver, and nine bronze medals. Among the gold medals, eight were won by women athletes. Boxing contributed seven gold medals to India’s tally.
Emotional Journeys and Lighter Moments
The interaction also provided insight into Mirabai Chanu’s journey to her gold medal in the women’s 48kg category. Chanu shared that her tears on the podium represented the culmination of four challenging years. She recounted the emotional impact of seeing the Indian flag and hearing the national anthem during her medal ceremony.
The meeting also featured lighter moments, such as an anecdote shared by boxer Narender Berwal, who won silver in the +90kg category. Berwal recounted a humorous exchange with a Pakistani boxer after a match at the 2015 World Military Games, which drew laughter from Prime Minister Modi.
Support for Indian Sport
Prime Minister Modi emphasized the broader impact of the athletes’ successes, stating that their medals serve to inspire a new generation. He noted that the efforts of athletes in winning medals for India play a crucial role in motivating people, even more than initiatives to promote sports in schools.
Over the last decade, significant changes have been implemented to support Indian athletes. The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), launched in 2014, aims to identify top sports talent and remove financial barriers. Under TOPS, the government funds not only the athletes but also their support structures, including foreign coaches, physiotherapists, sparring partners, video analysts, airfare, and medical insurance.
An instance of this support was highlighted when Mirabai Chanu required specialist training in the United States in April 2021, three months before the Tokyo Olympics. Despite global travel restrictions, approval for her trip, budgeted at approximately Rs 70 lakh, was granted within a single day. This enabled her to train and subsequently win an Olympic silver medal.
Another initiative, Khelo India, launched in 2018, focuses on scouting talent at the school and college levels through annual events like the Khelo India Youth Games and University Games. This program channels promising athletes into structured support systems early in their careers.
Initiatives such as Fit India and the Prime Minister’s emphasis on fitness in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ addresses have also contributed to a shift in perception, making ambitious young individuals from smaller towns believe in their potential in sports. India has expressed its intention to bid for the 2036 Olympic Games and is scheduled to host the Commonwealth Games again in 2030.
During a gathering at the Prime Minister’s residence in August 2021, the Tokyo Olympics contingent, which achieved India’s best-ever haul of seven medals, presented their sporting equipment to Prime Minister Modi. This included Neeraj Chopra’s javelin, PV Sindhu’s badminton racquet, and Lovlina Borgohain’s boxing gloves, symbolizing their achievements.
The Prime Minister’s engagement with athletes dates back to 2016, when he personally hosted a send-off for the Rio-bound contingent, a gesture noted by Abhinav Bindra, India’s sole individual Olympic gold medallist at the time.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
