NEW DELHI: On Independence Day Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted and honored Indian athletes who participated in Paris Olympics at his residence in New Delhi. The event saw gathering of several notable sports personalities. This included Indian men's hockey team, double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker Sarabjot Singh and Aman Sehrawat. PM Modi commended athletes for exceptional performances. He acknowledged their contributions to nation's pride.
During meeting, Indian men's hockey team who achieved remarkable feat at Paris Games, presented signed jersey to Prime Minister Modi as token of appreciation. Among athletes Manu Bhaker, who made history by becoming first Indian to win two medals at same Olympics engaged in conversation with Prime Minister about pistol she used to secure bronze medals in 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed events.
Prime Minister Modi took opportunity to address Indian contingent. He engaged in personal conversations with several athletes including shuttler Lakshya Sen, who had commendable showing at Games. Event was graced by presence of other notable sports figures such as Lovlina Borgohain (boxing) and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting) both of whom had previously won medals at Tokyo Olympics. They were present in Paris to support fellow athletes.
Ceremony was attended by key figures in Indian sports administration. This included Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and PT Usha, head of Indian Olympic Association. This further emphasized significance of occasion.
India's campaign at Paris Olympics concluded with total of six medals—five bronze and one silver. While this tally was slightly below record set at previous Tokyo Olympics where India won seven medals including one gold nation's athletes came close to delivering their best-ever performance at Games. Indian contingent recorded six fourth-place finishes. This showcased narrow margins between victory and heartbreak.
One of closest calls occurred in 10m Men's Air Rifle final where shooter Arjun Babuta narrowly missed out on medal. He finished just short with 208.4 points. His final shot of 9.5 left him agonizingly close to breaking India's 12-year drought for medal in rifle shooting at Olympics.
Despite disappointment of narrowly missing additional podium finishes Prime Minister expressed pride in athletes and their dedication. In his speech, he extended best wishes to Indian para-athletes set to compete in upcoming Paralympics urging them to bring further glory to nation.
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