Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted India's Paralympians at his residence on Thursday to congratulate them on their record-breaking haul of 29 medals at the just-concluded Paris Games. In a 43-second video posted by the sports ministry, the Prime Minister can be seen congratulating the medal winners before speaking with them. Mansukh Mandaviya, the sports minister, and Devendra Jhajharia, the head of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), were also present during the meeting.
Avani Lekhara, a wheelchair-bound shooter who won a second consecutive Paralympic gold in women's 10m air rifle (SH1), and visually impaired judoka Kapil Parmar, India's first Paralympic medalist in the sport, were among those pictured posing with the PM. Parmar was spotted receiving his medal autographed by Prime Minister Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with Navdeep Singh
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The Prime Minister shared a video on Instagram of his meeting with star javelin thrower Navdeep Singh, who won gold in the F41 classification at the Paris Paralympics 2024. During the meeting, Navdeep requested that PM Modi wear a cap on his head. The two then shared a heartfelt moment as PM Modi sat down to complete Navdeep's wish.
"Main yahan baithta hun, tum pehnao. (I am sitting here, you put the cap on my head).
"Lag raha hain na tum bade ho (Don't you get a feeling that you are taller/bigger)?" PM Modi said while shaking hands with Navdeep. The athlete smiled back in response.
Navdeep's aggressive celebration style after his every javelin throw in the final went viral. His energy was compared to that of the former Indian captain Virat Kohli. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the javelin star about it.
"Baad mein itna gussa kaise karte ho (Why do you get so much angry after the throw)?" asked PM Modi.
"Sir, last time I came fourth. This time I had promised you and I have done it (won the medal)," Navdeep replied.
India achieved its best-ever Paralympic performance by winning 29 medals, including an unprecedented seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze. The 84-strong contingent broke the previous record of 19 medals set in the Tokyo Games three years ago.
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