Wednesday, 04 August 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will invite the entire Indian Olympics contingent to Red Fort as special guests on Independence Day, the celebrations for which will remain low-key for the second year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The PM will also meet the athletes personally at his official residence and interact with all of them. Prior to the contingent leaving for Tokyo, he had promised ace shuttler PV Sindhu to have ice-cream with her, which she could not due to her preparations for the games. Sindhu became the first Indian women athlete to bag two Olympic medals.
Modi on Tuesday also sought to cheer up the Indian men’s hockey team that lost to Belgium in the semi-final clash, saying wins and losses are a part of life and India is proud of its players.
“Wins and losses are a part of life. Our Men’s Hockey Team at #Tokyo2020 gave their best and that is what counts,” Modi tweeted.
Wishing the Team the very best for the next match and their future endeavours, he said, “India is proud of our players”. He also spoke with Manpreet Singh, the captain of the hockey team, after the semi-final match, officials said.
Modi appreciated the team’s good performance throughout the tournament and wished them luck for the next game, they said. The Indian women’s team is also in the semi-final.
When the match was in progress, Modi tweeted, “I’m watching the India vs Belgium Hockey Men’s semi-final at #Tokyo2020. Proud of our team and their skills. Wishing them the very best!”
