NaMo CHAMPIONING INDIAN SPORTS

The narrators express that PM Narendra Modi’s words inspire them through their highs and lows. They found the pre-Olympic meeting with him invigorating, noting how his attention to even the smallest details and his personal involvement can enhance performance. PM Modi has significantly transformed perception, appreciation and support for sports in the country.

‘PM Modi’s words of encouragement has inspired us entirely’ - Avani Lekhara, Paralympian

PM Modi congratulated me on my gold medal in 2020 Paralympics on a phone call and mentioned to me that I was able to achieve it only by moving forward, forgetting my past accident and troubles. He expressed how extremely proud he was of me. His words deeply touched and inspired me. Before the Tokyo Paralympics, PM Modi advised the athletes to focus on giving their best rather than worrying about winning or losing. We were attending a preparation camp for the Games and a giant screen was set up on which we saw Modi ji interact with us. He encouraged us to play tension free, without any fear or pressure. This advice greatly inspired me and my fellow athletes, helping us give our best without any pressure. Even when we returned from the Games, he called each one of us, no matter whether we had won medals or not. Many of the athletes were demotivated for not being able to perform as per the expectations but Modi ji embraced them all and made them feel better. He said the pride should be on the fact that you have represented India on such an important platform. Everything else is secondary. You have given your best, that is all what counts. He said, the experience which we had got from the Games would stay with us and help us perform better in the next tournament. These were valuable words which will remain with us for ever and keep inspiring us through our ups and downs.

PM Modi has been source of motivation for athletes - Manu Bhaker, Olympic Medal Winner

My interaction and experience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers insight into the exceptional motivation he provides to athletes. PM Modi has been a constant source of encouragement for me, which had a role to play in my Olympic success. I first met PM Modi after my gold medal win at the 2018 Commonwealth Games when I was just 16 years old. I was struck by Modi sir’s attentiveness and personal interest in my sporting journey. During the interaction, he took me aside and said, you are very young. But the way you work hard, I am sure you will achieve even greater success. Never lose hope and don’t ever hesitate to reach out to me whenever you need anything. This was a great source of motivation for me. What left an even more lasting impression on me was his support during my challenging times. After my performance at the Tokyo Olympics, where I could not perform as per the expectations and fell short of winning a medal, PM Modi reached out with words of encouragement and discussed my future plans, giving me hope and much-needed support at a time when there was none. PM Modi told me to be confident and focus on my goal. He always tells, no matter we lose or win, life is even beyond that. So we must keep our spirits high and hang on with our efforts. He keeps track of every detail about each player. He even asked me about my teammates and their preparation. His approach goes beyond merely celebrating victories; he focuses on nurturing and supporting every athlete, regardless of the outcome. Even in defeat he stands by an athlete and keeps boosting the morale of the player so that he or she comes out of his/her distress and bounces back in the next game. His personal touch, reaching out to athletes individually and taking the time to discuss their concerns, makes them feel valued and inspired and in turn, does a world of good to the sporting world.

‘PM Modi’s personal touch boosts players’ confidence’ - Swapnil Kusale, Paris Olympics medalist

This personal touch, speaking in my mother tongue, instantly built a connection with the Prime Minister. I had a profound impact of this moment, as PM Narendra Modi began his conversation with me in Marathi, my native language and asked kasa aahe bhau (how are you dear?). I found out that he spoke to every athlete in his or her mother tongue first, which established an instant bonding and worked as a motivating factor for a player preparing for a tournament. It seems the biggest leader of the country stands by you. That feeling is unique. What particularly impressed me was PM Modi’s attention to detail. He remembered that during our recent meeting at his residence, where all the contingent was invited, I was sitting quietly in one of the rows when the Indian contingent interacted with him before the Paris Olympics. It was remarkable that he recalled such a small detail. When he called me the next time, he mentioned to me the incident that I was sitting lonely and isolated. PM Modi’s guidance went beyond mere words of encouragement. He stressed the importance of respecting our coaches and playing with integrity. He advised us to stay focused on training and diet, especially in light of the increasing issues with doping. He pays attention to every player. Any interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi fills you with a lot of positive energy.

Modi’s speech literally gave me goosebumps - Sarabjot Singh, Paris Olympics medalist

Before the 2024 Paris Olympics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the Indian athletes, assuring a sense of motivation and support for the team. The pre-Olympic meeting with PM Modi was incredibly energising. I literally had goosebumps hearing his words and felt a great surge of energy to win a medal for the nation! He told us to play without any pressure or fear and focus on giving our best. These words really eased our burden of expectations and helped us play our natural game. After my victory in the Olympics, as I won a bronze medal, Prime Minister Modi personally spoke with and congratulated me. The conversation with PM Modi gave me even more motivation to aim for a bigger medal at the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. The support I and many like me received through Khelo India scheme during our training went a long way in propelling us to excellence. It was started in 2018 and I joined in 2019 and since then, I have received constant support from the government scheme in many ways, right from hostel accommodation to proper diet. Nowadays, you just have to send an email request for the support you need, and you get it. We trained in Luxembourg for 10 days in a special facility, before the Olympics, through the government’s TOPS scheme, which was instrumental in winning medal. Things have become very organised and streamlined now and everything is facilitated by the click of a mouse. Earlier, the situation was very tough as we had to arrange for everything ourselves with little support from the ecosystem or the infrastructure. Modi ji has paid special attention to sports and athletes and he and his government is doing everything for their welfare and uplift. His attention to smallest details, personal involvement with everything that affects us or can help us do better have brought sea change in way sports is seen, appreciated & being supported in nation.

COMPILED AND EDITED BY SHASHIKANT SHARMA