PM Modi promised the athletes that he would meet them when they come back and their victory can be celebrated together.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the Indian contingent bound for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 on Wednesday via video conferencing. The interaction was attended by both athletes as well as their coaches. Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Information & Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur and Secretary for Sports were also present.
Modi also wished the Indian contingent for Commonwealth Games on International Chess Day. The Chess Olympiad is also taking place from July 28 in Tamil Nadu. He wished them for making India proud, as their predecessors did before. Modi informed that more than 65 athletes are participating in Commonwealth for the first time and he wished them to make a tremendous impact. He advised them to “play with all your heart, play hard, play with full force and will play without any stress”.
During the interaction, the Prime Minister enquired from Avinash Sable, an athlete from Maharashtra, about his life experience of coming from Maharashtra and working in the Indian Army in Siachen. Sable said he got to learn a lot from his four-year stint in the Indian Army.
He said that discipline and training that he received from the Indian Army would help him shine in whichever field he would go. The PM asked him why he chose the steeplechase field while working in Siachen, to which he replied, “Steeplechase is all about crossing obstacles and I received similar training in the Army.”
The PM asked about his experience of losing weight so fast. He said that the Army motivated him to join sports and he got extra time to train himself and this helped in losing weight.
The Prime Minister further went on to speak with Achinta Sheuli, a weightlifter in the 73 kg category, who hails from West Bengal and asked him how he manages to strike a balance between his peaceful nature and the power of weightlifting in his sport.
Achinta said that he has a regular yoga routine that helps him calm the mind. The Prime Minister also enquired about how he deals with the injury issues that come with the sport, Achinta said “injuries are a part of the game” and that he nurses them very carefully.
He further added that he analyses his mistakes that led to the injury and makes sure that they are not repeated in the future. The Prime Minister wished him good luck for his endeavours and also praised his family, especially his mother and brother for making sure that all needs of Achinta were met that got him where he is today.
Addressing the sportspersons after the interaction, the Prime Minister said that he was not able to meet them in person due to him being preoccupied with Parliament. He promised them that he would meet them when they come back and their victory can be celebrated together.
The Prime Minister said the current period is in a way the most important period in the history of Indian sports. “Today, the spirit of players is also high, the training too is getting better and the atmosphere in the country towards sports is also tremendous. All of you are climbing new peaks, making new peaks,” Modi said.
To those who are entering the big international arena for the first time, the Prime Minister said that only the arena has changed but not the spirit and stubbornness for success. “The goal is to see the tricolor fluttering, to hear the national anthem being played. That’s why don’t take pressure, make an impact with a good and strong game,” he added.
The Prime Minister remarked that the athletes are going to the Commonwealth Games at a time when the country is celebrating 75 years of independence and that the athletes will showcase their best performance which will be a gift for the country.
The CWG 2022 is scheduled to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8. A total of 215 athletes, participating in 141 events across 19 sporting disciplines, will represent India in the CWG 2022.
