'Let us all #Cheer4India at Tokyo Olympics': PM Modi in Mann Ki Baat

New Delhi, June 28: With few days left for Tokyo Olympics, PM Narendra Modi urged the citizens of India to shower love and support to the Indian contingent who will be representing the nation at the world's biggest sporting event.

 

Further, PM Modi said, "Every athlete who will be going to Tokyo Olympics has had to struggle, they have worked hard for a long time. They are just not going to the Games for themselves, but they are heading to Tokyo to make the country proud.They have to win over people's hearts and they need to make everyone in the nation feel proud. I want to urge the citizens of our country to not increase pressure on our athletes, rather you need to motivate them".

 

 

 

 

"You can send good wishes to our athletes by posting messages on social media using the hashtag #Cheer4India. If you want to do something more innovative, then you can do that also. If you get an idea of how we can motivate our athletes together as a country, then you send that to me as well. We will together support our Olympic-bound contingent," he said.

 

He also shared the stories of some of the Olympic-bound athletes. "Pravin Jadhav of Satara district in Maharastra is an outstanding archer. His parents work as labourers and now Jadhav is going to participate in his first Olympics in Tokyo," said PM Modi.

 

 

"Neha Goyal is a member of India's Women's Hockey team. Her mother and sisters work at cycle manufacturing to run the family. Dipika Kumari's journey has also been full of ups and downs. Dipika is the only woman archer to represent India at Tokyo Olympics," he added.

 

PM also remembered legendary athlete Milkha Singh, who passed away. He spoke about the interaction about the Olympics he had with Singh before his demise. "While talking to him I had urged him. I had said that you have represented India in 1964 Tokyo Olympics, so this time when our players are going to Olympics in Tokyo, you have to boost the morale of our athletes, have to motivate them with your message," he said.

 

 

Prior to this, PM Modi said, "When we are talking of Tokyo Olympics, how can one forget the legendry athlete Milkha Singh. Some days ago, Corona snatched him away from us. When he was in hospital, I got an opportunity to talk to him."

 

Later he said, "He was so committed and emotional for sports that he immediately gave his consent even during his illness. But unfortunately, providence had other plans. I still remember he had come to Surat in 2014. We had inaugurated a Night Marathon. The interaction that I had with him then, the chat about sports that happened, that inspired me a lot too. We all know that the entire family of Milkha Singh has been dedicated to sports…. has been adding to the glory of India."