The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi interacted with the Indian contingent that represented India in the Paris Olympics at his residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg today. 

Addressing the Paris Olympic Contingent, the Prime Minister underlined that sports is the only field where nobody ever loses and everybody learns. He said that those who could not win any medal should get rid of the thought that they have been defeated. “You held the country’s flag high and returned having learnt something”, PM Modi said. Asking for a show of hands for those who could not win medals, the Prime Minister urged them not to think that they have been left behind, but have learnt from their experience. The athletes agreed in unison.

Upon the Prime Minister’s enquiry about the experience of the athletes during the Paris Olympics including meeting athletes from around the world, Lakshya Sen, Badminton Player said that even though it was a lengthy tournament with long-drawn-out matches, he had a great learning experience at his first Olympics outing. He mentioned going out to dinner with the team in his free time, meeting new athletes and learning from them. He also shared his experience of playing in a big stadium before a huge crowd and said that he was a bit nervous in the first two or three matches but gained more confidence as the tournament progressed. He said that it was heartbreaking to come so close but not win. Lakshya also assured the Prime Minister that he would improve his results in the times to come. The Prime Minister also touched upon the need for discipline. Highlighting the high viewership of Olympic games in the country, the Prime Minister said that a feeling has developed among the citizens that Indians can play and compete on the same level as the rest of the world. 

The Prime Minister highlighted the swift action taken by the authorities to deliver air conditioners to the athletes to mitigate the effects of the heatwave during the Paris Olympics. “Every player is cared for”, Prime Minister Modi added. 

Anjum Modgil, Shooter, who took part in her second Olympic Games informed the Prime Minister that she had the experience of extreme happiness in achieving a goal and extreme disappointment after failure, something which every athlete goes through every day. She drew a contrast between the jubilation after Manu won the medal and the athletes finishing fourth, as well as Vinesh’s tragic outcome and the hockey medal. She said that the entire nation felt the different emotions that athletes feel daily. Anjum underscored that the Olympic Games have come at an apt time to promote a sporting culture in India and it will also enable the citizens to understand the sporting journey of athletes. She expressed confidence that the positive changes witnessed today would only improve in the future. The Prime Minister agreed to her views and said that the same mood prevailed all over India. 

Upon the Prime Minister's enquiry about PR Sreejesh, Goalkeeper of the Men’s Hockey team deciding on his retirement beforehand, Sreejesh informed the Prime Minister that even though he had thought about it for a few years, he wanted to bow out on the grand platform of Olympics after serving the country for twenty years. The Prime Minister highlighted the majestic farewell given to Sreejesh by the team and said that the team would miss him dearly. Sreejesh noted that losing the Semi final was disheartening but the entire team played to win the bronze medal match for his sake. He said he was grateful for the opportunity to bid farewell to the team from the podium. 

Upon the Prime Minister’s enquiry about the difficulties faced during the match against Great Britain where the team was down to ten men in the first quarter,  Harmanpreet Singh, Captain of the Men’s Hockey team, highlighted the coaching staff's key role and said that the plans were executed to perfection leading to growing enthusiasm in the team. He also mentioned the ongoing rivalry with Great Britain in Hockey, to which the Prime Minister light-heartedly replied and said, “This has been going on for 150 years.” “We are following the tradition”, Harmanpreet replied. He also spoke about beating Australia in hockey at the Olympics after a long wait of 52 years. The Prime Minister congratulated him on the team’s success and highlighted India’s back-to-back medals in hockey at the Olympics. 

Aman Sherawat, Wrestler, apprised the Prime Minister of the hardships he faced since the young age of 10 when he lost his parents. He said that has paid tribute to his parents by winning a medal. He also credited TOPS, SAI and WFI for their contributions to his development as an athlete.   

The Prime Minister enquired about any nicknames assigned to athletes in the contingent. Shreyasi Singh, Shooter, who is also a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Bihar, informed the Prime Minister that she is referred to as ‘Vidhayak Didi’ by her teammates.

Upon the Prime Minister’s enquiry about the use of social media, Harmanpreet informed the Prime Minister that the entire hockey team had decided to refrain from using mobile phones and social media throughout the Olympics as both positive and negative comments have their impact, The Prime Minister lauded the approach and also urged him to advise the youth to follow suit. 

The Prime Minister encouraged first-time Olympian Ritika Hooda, Wrestler, who lost her round by a point and said that age is on her side. He expressed confidence that she would bring laurels to the country in the future. 

Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, Chief Medical Officer for Paris Olympics, informed the Prime Minister that there were minimal injuries to athletes during the games. Only 1-2 serious injuries that require operations occurred compared to 3-4 previously. He informed that the polyclinic including other facilities was located in the same building which allowed the athletes to undergo recovery, injury management and preparation with ease. He said that it instilled a lot of confidence in athletes. He also expressed the desire to continue the practice in the future to support the athletes. The Prime Minister lauded the efforts and said that the reduction in injuries enables expertise in every aspect of sports. He also hailed the efforts of the athletes who prepared themselves to face small jerks or difficulties thereby eliminating the possibility of major injuries. “I am sure that you must have trained your bodies and worked hard. So you all deserve praise”, PM Modi added. 

The Prime Minister noted the presence of Sports and Youth Affairs, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Sports, Ms Raksha Khadse and the President of Indian Olympic Association, Ms PT Usha. Shri Modi warmly welcomed the athletes on their return from Paris and lauded their efforts. He expressed pride and said that the entire world is full of praise for Indian athletes for their determination, discipline and their behaviour. “Not a single player of my country wants a single scratch on India’s name. This is our biggest asset”, the Prime Minister said congratulating the entire contingent. 

The Prime Minister expressed pride that the contingent returned to the country after raising the pride of the Indian flag all over the world. He recalled interacting with the contingent before the beginning of the Paris Olympics and said that everyone had given their best. He also noted that Indian athletes are at a young age and with this experience now, they have time on their side to achieve more. “The country will benefit from this experience”, he added. 

“This Paris Olympics has been historic for India in many ways”, the Prime Minister said highlighting the various records made for the country which will inspire millions of youth. He mentioned Manu Bhaker, Shooter, who, in the nearly 125-year history of Olympics became the first woman to win two medals in individual events as an Indian player. He also spoke about Neeraj Chopra, Track and Field Athlete, who became the first Indian player to win gold and silver in individual events. He also mentioned two consecutive medals in hockey after 52 years, Aman Sherawat winning a medal at the age of only 21 years and Vinesh Phogat, Wrestler becoming the first Indian to reach the finals in wrestling. He also expressed great pride for the Indian shooters who made it to the finals in seven shooting events for the first time. Similarly, in archery, Dheeraj and Ankita became the first Indian archers to play for a medal, Lakshya Sen became the only male badminton player to reach the semi-finals in the Olympics, Avinash Sable qualified for the finals of steeplechase for the first time in this format.

Shri Modi noted that most of the medalists are in their 20s. He also noted that the Tokyo and Paris Olympics took place within three years instead of four and said that the athletes would have performed better if they had one more year. He underlined that the athletes will play many big tournaments in their long career and exhorted them to continue their journey. “You should not miss even a single match. This young team is proof of how bright India's future in sports is going to be”, he said. The Prime Minister expressed the belief that the Paris Olympics is going to prove to be a launch pad for this flight of Indian sports and said, “Victory awaits us. We are not going to stop.” 

The Prime Minister emphasized the government’s priority to  developing a world class sports ecosystem. He stressed the need to find and groom players coming from the grassroots and mentioned the Khelo India campaign to promote young talent from every village and city. PM Modi expressed delight that 28 players from Khelo India became a part of this Olympic group. He mentioned Aman, Anantjeet, Dheeraj and Sarvjot who started their journey as Khelo India athletes. “Khelo India has become a very critical program of India and it needs more importance and strength”, he added. He said that a large army of Khelo India athletes is being prepared for the country and the budget is also being continuously increased so that the players do not face lack of facilities and resources while training. He expressed satisfaction that all athletes have got exposure to many international competitions before the Olympics, coaches and experts have paid close attention to diet and equipment and efforts to provide world-class facilities. He underlined that a whole ecosystem has been created to support the players. “This is not just a change in the country's policies in sports, it is also a symbol and expression of the trust that the country now has in its young generation”, Shri Modi asserted.

Prime Minister Modi said that all athletes are a great inspiration for the youth of the country and mentioned Manu making a comeback after facing technical issues during the last edition of the Olympics, Ankita giving her best performance of the season, and Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula catching everyone's attention. Similarly, he mentioned Neeraj’s consistency and discipline, Swapnil winning a medal by overcoming difficulties and the hockey team’s performance. “Whoever won the medal or whoever missed it by one point or a few seconds, everyone repeated the same resolution. This series will not stop before Gold”, the Prime Minister said expressing the belief that the youth of the country will get to learn a lot.

The Prime Minister informed that India is preparing to host the 2036 Olympics and highlighted the importance of inputs from athletes who have taken part in the previous Olympics. “From the planning of the Olympics to the arrangements, from sports management to the management of the event, you should write down your experiences and observations and share them with the government so that we can prepare for 2036 from minute details players bring with them. He said that their shortcomings will also be useful in preparing for 2036. “So in a way, you are the soldiers of my 2036 team, you all have to help me so that we can show by organizing and hosting such an Olympics in 2036 that has not happened in the world till now”, PM Modi exhorted. He also urged the Sports Ministry to prepare a draft for this and take detailed feedback from all the players. 

The Prime Minister urged the athletes to motivate and inspire the players of the future by connecting with the youth on social media spaces. He also urged the Sports Ministry and other organizations to organize such interaction sessions with people from different groups.

The Prime Minister also urged the athletes to take part in the ongoing 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign to protect the environment. He also highlighted the efforts in Paris and spoke about the environment-friendly ecosystem. He also asked them to propagate the idea of natural farming to protect our mother earth and inspire the youth to join sports and fitness. 

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the athletes will always bring glory to the country. He said that the journey towards a developed India is going to become more beautiful with the success of young talents. “For me, you all are achievers. Everybody has achieved something. And when such youth from my country achieve something, then the country also prepares to achieve by relying on them”, PM Modi concluded. 

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MJPS/VJ/TS