Last Updated:
PM Narendra Modi said India is making rapid strides across disciplines where its historical presence had been negligible, noting that 61 members of the delegation were debutants
PM Narendra Modi hosted members of India’s victorious Asian Para Games contingent at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi on November 5, 2026. (Image: @Narendra Modi/Facebook)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hosted members of India’s victorious Asian Para Games contingent at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi, celebrating the nation’s historic fourth-place finish at the competition held in Japan.
India registered its finest performance to date, securing an unprecedented haul of 114 medals comprising 30 gold, 35 silver, and 49 bronze medals.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi praised the athletes for their resilience and perseverance, observing that their triumphs serve as a profound source of national inspiration.
“Your magnificent performance shows that India is emerging as a great power in the world of sports. You have not only won medals, but you have also won the hearts of millions of Indians,” Modi said.
Highlighting the shifts undertaken to foster sporting talent across the country, he said: “Your struggles and your achievements inspire every Indian. Earlier, parents were scared of supporting their kids in sporting careers. People would say nothing can be done about this system which did not support talent, but just as you did not give up, we also stayed focussed on our goals,” adding, “we decided that our youth’s talent will not go waste. The system that hampered your progress, we decided to change that system. Now, if a youngster has faith in his talent, he also has the belief that the country is standing by him.”
Modi said India is making rapid strides across disciplines where its historical presence had been negligible, noting that 61 members of the delegation were debutants. He specifically commended javelin thrower Rinku Hooda, who lost his left arm in a childhood accident and lost his mother only months before the Games, dedicating his gold medal to her memory.
“You made the entire country emotional in that moment,” he said.
He stressed that expanding athletic infrastructure and equipment manufacturing remain top government priorities.
“A few days ago, the government approved the sports goods manufacturing scheme for Khelo India, which is worth more than Rs 1,800 crore,” he said, adding that domestic sports products must reach international markets while strengthening India’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector and generating employment in rural and smaller urban areas.
SPORTS MINISTER LAUDS PM MODI’S ‘VISIONARY’ LEADERSHIP
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya credited Modi’s strategic investments and comprehensive vision for transforming India into a continental powerhouse.
Mandaviya said India had ascended from a 15th-place standing in 2014 to fourth position in the 2026 Games.
“In 2014, we stood at the 15th position, but today, by securing the fourth position in Asian Para Games 2026, we have brought pride to India,” Mandaviya said. “This transformation has taken place, and the greatest inspiration behind it has been the guidance Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided from time to time. His encouragement has truly bolstered our morale.”
Mandaviya said a structured five-year sports development plan was instituted with a provision of Rs 36,000 crore, illustrating how visionary leadership revitalises the sector. He said both able-bodied athletes and para-athletes are now accorded equal status, identical opportunities, and identical honour.
He underscored the pivotal role of initiatives such as the Khelo India Scheme and the Fit India Movement in establishing an enduring athletic ecosystem.
India’s 114 medals surpassed its previous record tally of 108 medals achieved at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, achieved this year by a focused contingent of 168 para-athletes.
(With PTI and ANI inputs)
Quick Answers
Ask News18India secured a historic fourth-place finish at the Asian Para Games held in Japan with an unprecedented haul of 114 medals, consisting of 30 gold, 35 silver, and 49 bronze medals.
Ask News18November 05, 2026, 9:36 PM IST
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
