Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met the Paris Olympics-bound Indian athletes in New Delhi. The PM extended his best wishes to the athletes during a special interaction with them.
"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," Modi wrote on his social media on Thursday.
The Prime Minister shared the video of the interaction on Friday morning with a caption "A memorable interaction with our contingent for Paris Olympics. Let us all."
India will be sending a big contingent of close to 120 people with an aim to register its best-ever medals tally. India won a record seven medals in Tokyo 2021.
Along with meeting several athletes personally, Modi also interacted with Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and World Champion boxer Nikhat Zareen, among others virtually.
Modi interacted with the athletes and also said that he would look to invite the athletes to the Red Fort on the 15th of August. "This time also we have tried to do something new for the convenience of the players. We have tried to activate the Indian community there a bit so that they connect more with our players...I wish you all the best from my side and I will wait for you people...I will try that when the program is held at Red Fort on 15th August, you people should also be present there," Modi said during the meeting.
Modi also said that India will look to host the Olympic Games at home in 2036. He asked the athletes to observe the things in Paris so that it help India in their bid to organise the Games 12 years later. "We are aiming to host 2036 Olympics. Work is in progress to prepare the infrastructure for it," Modi said in the same meeting.
The upcoming Paris Games are set to begin on July 26 and will conclude on August 11. There will be 329 events in total with nearly 10,500 athletes participating from 184 countries in it.
