Our Asian Games medals represent a powerful image of the new India: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India’s Asian Games medals were not just numbers but represented a strong image of a New India emerging in sports as he praised the country’s athletes for making the nation proud and reiterated India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympics.

Modi met India’s Asian Games medalists, including the gold men’s and women’s cricket teams, at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium. During the interaction, he congratulated the contingent for its achievements and said that the achievements of the athletes belong to the entire country.

“These medals are not just numbers. They represent a powerful image of a New India,” Modi said.

“You have made 140 million Indians proud. The biggest achievement is that the tricolor flew high. Therefore, your success is not only yours but belongs to millions of our countrymen. I congratulate you on behalf of the entire country,” he added.

The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s growing ambitions as a host of international sporting events and said the country was building its credentials to host competitions on the biggest global platforms.

“India is establishing itself as a credible and hospitable country for international sporting events. We are bidding for the 2036 Olympics and it is our commitment to host the Games,” Modi said.

WOMEN LEAD THE WAY

India finished the Asian Games with 85 medals, including 21 gold. While the total was lower than the 106 medals secured at the previous edition in Hangzhou, the debutants’ performances were encouraging, with first-timers contributing 41 medals.

Modi highlighted the contribution of Indian women athletes who won 38 medals, including 11 gold, and praised the country’s performance in several disciplines.

“I especially want to congratulate our female athletes, who contributed 38 medals, including 11 gold ones,” he said.

The Prime Minister felicitated the Indian cricket teams, hockey teams and archers who won five gold medals. He also highlighted the success of the women’s hockey team in ending their 44-year wait for gold at the Asian Games.

“The women’s hockey team has ended a 44-year wait with their gold medal, that is very appreciable,” Modi said.

BUILDING A SPORTS ECOSYSTEM

Modi attributed India’s sporting progress to sustained efforts to strengthen the country’s sports ecosystem, stressing that success at major international events was the result of years of preparation and determination.

“Sankalp aur sapne ek din mein poore nahi hote (Dreams are not achieved in a day). It takes years of hard work and dedication. In the last 12 years, India has shown patience and worked hard to create a sports ecosystem,” he said.

“There was a time when India won few medals at a major event. The country did not know so many sports. We have decided to end this pessimism and the result is our growing presence on the global stage,” Modi added, pointing to the importance of a transparent system in sports.

“There is now a transparent system in place for sports,” he said.

ATHLETES PRESENT MEMENTA

During the interaction, the athletes also presented Modi with several mementos, including autographed jerseys and a bow donated by 17-year-old archery star Kumkum Mohod. The young archer won two gold medals, in the individual and women’s team events, and a silver in the mixed team competition.

The Prime Minister posed for photographs with the medalists, who were accompanied by senior officials from their respective sports bodies, including International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah and Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha.

Both Indian cricket teams were represented at the event. The Shreyas Iyer-led men’s T20 team was in attendance ahead of their match against West Indies in Bengaluru on Saturday, while the women’s team was present ahead of Friday’s T20I match against Zimbabwe in Raipur.

Harmanpreet Kaur, who captained the women’s team to Asian Games gold before stepping down from the role, presented Modi with a jersey signed by the medal-winning team. Her successor Smriti Mandhana also posed for a photo with the Prime Minister.

Golfer Pranavi Urs presented Modi with her glove and a golf ball mounted in a frame, adding to the collection of sporting memorabilia presented during the interaction.

The meet served as an opportunity to celebrate India’s Asian Games campaign while also reinforcing the government’s ambition to expand the country’s sporting footprint and bring major international events to Indian soil.

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