Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (July 13) interacted with the Olympic-bound contingent who can be trying to make the nation proud on the upcoming Tokyo Games, starting July 23. “During my last Mann ki Baat, I talked about you (Deepika Kumari) and the other athletes. You are now the world number one in rankings, the world would love to know about your journey, I know in your childhood, you used to aim at mangoes,” mentioned PM Modi in the course of the session.
“When you reach such a level at the big stage, expectations are obviously there from you. The country is confident that you will make the nation proud at the upcoming Games,” he added.
Talking to javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, PM Modi mentioned: “I have been told that you got injured, but still you created a new record. You don’t need to get bogged down by expectations, don’t take the burden of expectations, just focus on your goal.”
Replying to PM Modi, Neeraj mentioned: “I am focusing on my game, anything I want, the government is helping me in that. We have a limited career, because of injury, I lost some time but I was fully focused on the Olympics. Because of COVID-19, Olympics got postponed but I kept on preparing for the event.”
PM Modi additionally mentioned that sprinter Dutee Chand is all set to make everybody proud on the Olympics. “Dutee Ji, the result of your hard work that you have done for so many years, is decided by few seconds,” mentioned Modi.
The digital video conferencing session was began by Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anurag Thakur whereby he launched PM Modi and he thanked him for taking out the time to spice up the morale of the athletes. MoS Nisith Pramanik and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju had been additionally current alongside with Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra.
Athletes corresponding to Mary Kom (boxer), Sania Mirza (tennis), Manika Batra (desk tennis), Dutee Chand (sprinter), Deepika Kumari (archery) and Sajan Prakash (swimmer) had been all a part of the session. “It is an honour and privilege for every member of the contingent to get to speak to the Prime Minister before they depart for the Olympics. Our athletes will compete in 85 events in which they can win a medal,” mentioned Batra in the course of the session.
A complete of 126 athletes throughout 18 sports activities disciplines from India can be heading to Tokyo. This is the biggest-ever contingent India is sending to any Olympics. The 69 cumulative occasions throughout the 18 sport disciplines that India will take part in are additionally the best ever for the nation.
There are a number of notable firsts when it comes to participation. For the primary time in its historical past, a fencer from India (Bhavani Devi) has certified for the Olympic Games. Nethra Kumanan is the first-ever feminine sailor from India to qualify for Olympics. Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj are the primary swimmers from India to qualify for an Olympic Games by reaching the ‘A’ Qualification Standard in swimming.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has already confirmed that boxer Mary Kom and males’s hockey workforce captain Manpreet Singh can be the flagbearers for the Indian contingent on the upcoming Tokyo Olympics within the opening ceremony.
Wrestler Bajrang Punia would be the flagbearer on the closing ceremony. The Indian contingent would depart for Tokyo on July 17. Olympics will run from July 23 to August 8.
