PM Narendra Modi will interact virtually with Tokyo-bound athletes on July 13 at 5 p.m.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with Indian athletes en route to the Tokyo Olympics via video conferencing on July 13 at 5 p.m.
“The Prime Minister’s interaction is an attempt to motivate the athletes ahead of their participation in the games. He had recently reviewed the preparations for India’s contingent at Tokyo 2020 “according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
On Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Modi recently discussed the inspirational journeys of some of the athletes, as well as urging the nation to come forward and wholeheartedly support them.
Anurag Thakur, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Nisith Pramanik, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, and Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Law, will all be in attendance.
In total, 126 Indian athletes representing 18 sports will compete in Tokyo. This is India’s largest-ever delegation to an Olympic Games. The 69 total events across the 18 sport disciplines in which India will compete are also the most for the country.
In terms of participation, there are several notable firsts. For the first time in the country’s history, an Indian fencer (Bhavani Devi) has qualified for the Olympic Games. Nethra Kumanan is India’s first female sailor to qualify for an Olympic Games. Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj are the first Indian swimmers to qualify for an Olympic Games after meeting the ‘A’ Qualification Standard in Swimming.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has already confirmed that boxer Mary Kom and men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh will lead the Indian contingent in the opening ceremony of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. At the closing ceremony, wrestler Bajrang Punia will carry the flag.
On July 17, the Indian contingent would depart for Tokyo. The Olympics will take place from July 23 to August 8.
