PM Modi has some advice for Team India headed in Paris Olympics

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged Team India's Paris 2024 Olympics contingent to focus on getting the right amount of sleep for the best results and also observe the infrastructure in the host nation to help policymakers get some insights as the country prepares to bid for 2036 Olympics hosting rights.

PM Modi interacted with India's Paris Olympics 2024 contingent on Friday, motivating them to make their country proud. The Prime Minister interacted with the athletes at his residence, while some others joined via video conferencing, including Olympic medalists PV Sindhu, Lovlina Borgohain, and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra.

During the interaction, PM Modi urged players to get the right amount of sleep, noting its importance in helping players deliver their best performance.

"Practice and consistency is important. But just as important as that is sleep. The lack of sleep harms one a lot. I would like to advice you to get a good amount of sleep. Medical science today focuses heavily on sleep duration and how sound it is," said PM Modi.

PM Modi said that the government is trying to have the nation's 2024 Olympic stars on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations on August 15 this year so that people take note of their talent and accomplishments.

"Playing in Olympics itself is a big deal. What you do on field during the event just adds to it," he added.

The Prime Minister expressed trust in his players that they will deliver record-breaking performances and reminded them of the big opportunity they have in their hands to do something big for their country.

"We are trying to place a bid for hosting 2036 Olympics and aim to host it. The preparations regarding infrastructure is going on. I would like to urge you all to observe the infrastructure in place in Paris--what was there and what was not--because these insights and experiences will help us a lot in the future as we aim to host the Olympics," he added.

The Prime Minister encouraged the players to play without any pressure and give their 100 per cent by reminding them that the games are not about someone's stature, be it physical or that within the game as a star player, but rather a battle of talents.

"You should trust your talent. No matter how bigger and better your opponent looks, you should focus on your talent since it gives you results," he added.

"This is not a game of your status, but rather your talent. You should trust your talent. No matter how bigger and better looking your opponent is, you should focus on your talent since it gives you results."

In the interaction, Indian men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh expressed hope that Team India will make the country proud by delivering a better result than their bronze, India's first hockey medal in over 40 years, which they won at Tokyo 2020.

"Last time we won a bronze, it was a proud moment. Our nation has a rich history in Hockey. We stay at SAI (Sports Authority of India) Benglauru, they have nice facilities related to recovery, sleep, nutrition, etc. We are working very hard and the team is strong," he added.

During the interaction, he interacted with athletes like Sift Kaur Samra, Manu Bhaker, etc., who have been beneficiaries of the government's initiatives like Khelo India and the Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS).

Team India will once again take to the field in the multi-sport extravaganza, starting on July 26 and concluding on August 11. India will look to outdo its tally of seven medals from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which included a gold, two silver, and four bronze medals.

(ANI)