Paralympic athlete Mariyappan Thangavelu said he hopes India to win up to 100 medals as more rural athletes would take part in the next Olympics due to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's encouragement.

The Prime Minister had introduced a visionary program called Meet the Champions to increase interest in sports among rural youth. The event is designed for Olympic achievers to meet and discuss with aspiring athletes in their hometowns.

Mariyappan, a native of Periyavadakampatti village in Salem district, had won two medals at the Paralympic high jump competition. As he entered the Meet the Champions venue at Azhagapuram in Salem, he was greeted enthusiastically by waving of national flag and playing of band by hundreds of participants.

At the event that followed, a summary of the Prime Minister's speech to the Olympic athletes was screened. In addition, videos were aired on healthy diet and training methods to be followed by athletes. The Health India quiz was conducted and Mariyappan presented prizes to the students who gave the correct answer.

Following this, Mariyappan answered questions asked by student-athletes about his Olympic experience, eating habits, and the challenges he faced while traveling from the village to the Olympics. He then took photos with the student-athletes and played volleyball.

Speaking to the media, Mariyappan said Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is taking various initiatives to attract more athletes from rural areas. "Rural athletes are getting more and more opportunities through various schemes including Fit India and Khelo India. India won 19 medals at the last Olympics. Due to the Prime Minister's string of efforts, India is likely to win at least 100 medals at the next Olympics," he added.

"I am now preparing myself for the World Championships and the Asian Games. I aim to jump 2 meters high. A synthetic fiber treadmill worth Rs 10 crore is to come up in Salem. This is likely to create more number of players," he said.

Paralympic athlete Mariyappan told reporters that he had begun work on building his own sports academy.

 The event was attended by students from 100 government schools in Salem district.

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