Athletes has gathered for special get-together at the Prime Minister’s residence
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) shakes hands with Telangana tennis ace Sania Mirza (centre) as her gold-winning mixed doubles partner Saketh Myneni (right) of Andhra Pradesh looks on during the felicitation ceremony for India's medal winners at
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an attentive audience here on Tuesday morning. Asian Games medallists — 11 gold, 10 silver and 36 bronze winners had a special get-together at the Prime Minister’s residence. A 15-minute speech that focused on the importance of sport, athletes’ dreams and future plans, was followed by a round of photographs.
Those in attendance included woman boxer M.C. Mary Kom, shooter Jitu Rai, the men’s hockey team and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt among others. For most, it was an occasion to savour. The men’s hockey team, who clinched a gold at the quadrennial event after 16 years, said the speech was “motivating”. Said midfielder Gurbaj Singh, “PM Modi spoke about the hardships involved in an athlete’s life. He said, ‘Most parents do not want their children to take up sport and neglect studies as they are not sure of the future. He said these medals and our achievements were a testimony of all those hard times, and made the nation and parents proud.
“He also mentioned plans to take inputs from a sporting nation like Australia to help Indian sport develop further,” midfielder Singh added. Squash player Joshna Chinappa, who along with Dipika Pallikal clinched a team silver at the Incheon Games, said it was an overwhelming experience.“It was a once in a lifetime experience. There was a lot of hype but he came across as a very simple person,” Chinappa added.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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