New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his heartfelt wishes to the Indian contingent participating in the upcoming Paris Olympics during his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address yesterday. Recognising the dedication and preparation of Indian athletes following their commendable performance in Tokyo, the Prime Minister expressed confidence in their abilities to shine on the global stage once again.

“Right after the Tokyo Olympics, our athletes were whole-heartedly engaged in the preparations for the Paris Olympics. If we take all the players together, then all of them have participated in nearly nine hundred international competitions. This is a very big number,” he said.

Informing the nation about certain things which will happen for the first time, Prime Minister remarked, “In shooting, the talent of our players is coming to the fore. Both men’s and women’s teams have qualified in table tennis. Our shooter daughters are also part of the Indian shotgun team. This time, members of our team will compete in wrestling and horse riding in those categories as well, in which they had never participated before. From this, you can make out that this time we will see a different level of excitement in sports.”

Recalling India’s earlier performance, the Prime Minister said, “a few months ago, we displayed our best performance in the World Para Athletics Championship. Our players have also won glorious laurels in chess                           and badminton.”

The Prime Minister further conveyed the nation’s collective hope for a stellar performance in the Paris Olympics, urging everyone to rally behind the athletes using the hashtag #Cheer4Bharat.

He also mentioned that, in the coming days, he will be meeting the Indian team participating in Paris Olympic Games and will encourage them on behalf of the whole nation.