PM Modi interacted with Indian athletes for Paris Olympics
New Delhi| The Olympic Games were held from 26 July to 11 August in Paris, in which India won 5 bronze medals with one silver. A total of 117 Indian athletes had participated in the Paris Olympics, they were met and learned about their experiences by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 August. PM Modi praised the athletes and said that ,’you have come with the country’s flag raised and we do not have to think that we have been left behind but we have learned a lot’.
While interacting with the athletes, PM Modi asked them that ‘the whole world saw what you did on the field but what else did you do apart from that’. On this, star young badminton player Lakshya Sen, who impressed everyone with his game in the Paris Olympics, said that ‘the tournament was very long for me and most of my focus was on my matches. Whenever we got time, we all used to go for dinner together and we also met many athletes there and we learned a lot from them which was a great experience for us.’
Indian hockey team’s experienced goalkeeper PR Sreejesh also retired from international hockey with the end of the Paris Olympics. When PM Modi asked him about his decision to retire, Sreejesh said that ‘I was thinking about it for the last few years. I felt like I went to camp for the first time in the year 2002 and have been playing till now. In such a situation, I had planned to end this 20-year journey at a good point and that is why I have now retired. We all were disappointed after losing the semi-finals but are also happy to win the bronze medal.’
In a dialogue with Indian athletes at the Paris Olympics 2024, PM Modi also mentioned female wrestler Vinesh Phogat in which he said that ‘Vinesh became the first Indian to reach the final in wrestling which is a matter of pride for us. Our shooters reached the finals in shooting events. At the same time, PM Modi also praised young wrestler Aman Sehrawat and said that even with the difficulties of personal life, a person can achieve his journey as a dream and difficulties remain in their place.’