PM Modi meets Indian contingent of CWG 2022 at his residence

Hailing the achievements of Indian athletes at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that the athletes had not only won medals for the country but strengthened the spirit of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” and inspired young people in all sectors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to all the medalists from the Commonwealth Games, which concluded in Birmingham on Saturday at his official residence.

Addressing the athletes, the Prime Minister said: “Before the start of the Commonwealth Games, I told you and promised you in a way that when you return we will celebrate ‘Vijayotsav’ together. I was convinced that you will return victorious. I’m glad you all took the time to come and meet me at my residence as family members. Like all other Indians, I am proud to talk to you. I welcome you all.

“You not only give the country a medal, you not only give the opportunity to celebrate, to be proud, but also to strengthen the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’. You inspire the youth of the country to do better not only in sports but also in other sectors,” Prime Minister Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that over the past few weeks, the country has achieved two major achievements in the field of sports. Along with the historic performance at the Commonwealth Games, the Prime Minister said the country had held a Chess Olympiad in the country for the first time.
The Prime Minister said it was a matter of pride that with the hard work of athletes and inspiring achievements, the country is entering “Azadi ka Amrit Kaal”.

Prime Minister Modi added: “Whether it’s boxing, judo, wrestling, the way the girls have dominated, it’s amazing. This time we have created a new way to win in four new games compared At the last time. From lawn bowling to athletics, there have been phenomenal performances. With this performance, the interest of young people in new sports in the country will increase a lot.
“You were all competing there, but millions of Indians were watching you here. Until late at night, your every action, every move was tracked. A lot of people fell asleep after setting alarms to watch your performance,” PM Modi said.

He said the country not only successfully hosted the Chess Olympiad, but continues its rich tradition in chess, gave its best performance. “I also congratulate all the players who participated and those who won medals at the Chess Olympiads,” the Prime Minister said.

This is the first time the Prime Minister has physically interacted with the Commonwealth Games winners after their spectacular performance in Birmingham. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi hosted the Tokyo 2020 Olympics medal-winning contingent.

Prime Minister Modi had already wished every athlete who won a medal for the country. The Prime Minister had taken to his official Twitter account to congratulate the Indian athletes after winning medals at the event. The Prime Minister also sent his wishes to those who did not make it to the podium.
From July 28 to August 8, nearly 200 Indian athletes competed for medals in 16 different sports at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

India finished their 2022 Commonwealth Games campaign in fourth place with 61 medals (22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze). Wrestling topped the medal table with 12 medals including six gold while weightlifting accounted for 10 medals.

India had their fourth all-time best performance in their Commonwealth Games history, their best being a total of 101 medals when the Games were held on home soil in 2010.
The Indian women’s cricket team also made history by winning the silver medal in the first-ever CWG T20 event.

One of the main highlights of this mega event was Nikhat Zareen getting a gold medal.
After winning the medal in the women’s lightweight 50kg final, Zareen said she was delighted to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and added that she would take his autograph on his boxing gloves.

Indian star boxer and world champion Nikhat Zareen defeated Carly MC Naul of Northern Ireland in the women’s 50kg (light flyweight) final on Sunday.
Zareen lived up to her “world champion” status by dominating Carly in all three rounds. They won 5-0 on a run basis.

“I am very happy to meet Prime Minister Modi; I took a selfie with him last time and I want a new one now. Last time I took his autograph on my T-shirt, now I will take it on my boxing gloves,” Nikhat Zareen told ANI after winning the gold medal on August 07.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games came to a close on Monday with a stunning closing ceremony at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
The Commonwealth Games Flag was presented to the Governor of Victoria. The state of Victoria, Australia will be the next host of the Commonwealth Games in 2026.