Olympic-bound athletes will make country proud: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his unwavering belief on Thursday that India's contingent heading to the Olympics will bring honor to the nation and fulfill the hopes and dreams of the country's 140 crore citizens.
India is set to dispatch approximately 120 athletes to Paris, aiming to surpass their achievement of securing seven medals in the Tokyo Games, which notably included Neeraj Chopra's triumphant gold medal in the javelin throw event.
"Interacted with our contingent heading to Paris for the Olympics. I am confident our athletes will give their best and make India proud. Their life journeys and success give hope to 140 crore Indians," the Prime Minister posted on 'X' after meeting a large contingent of Paris-bound athletes that included shooters, archers, track and field athletes and support staff.

The delegation was joined by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse, and Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha.
The Prime Minister shared photographs of himself with the athletes and support staff, which included badminton coach Pullela Gopichand and shooting sport high-performance director Pierre Beauchamp, among others.
Modi also engaged in virtual conversations with Neeraj Chopra, who aims to defend his title in Paris, boxer Nikhat Zareen, and two-time Olympic medallist shuttler PV Sindhu.
Earlier that day, the Prime Minister welcomed the Indian cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma, which emerged victorious in the T20 World Cup after defeating South Africa the previous week. The team reached Delhi in the early hours of the morning, having been delayed in Bridgetown, Barbados, due to a category 4 hurricane.
Modi expressed that he had an unforgettable discussion with the members of the T20 World Cup-winning team, during which they talked about their experiences at the recently concluded ICC event held in the USA and the Caribbean.