New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met India’s Asian Games medal winners at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in the national capital on Thursday evening, congratulating them and showering praise on their performances. In a special address at the ceremony, he said, “I would particularly like to congratulate our women athletes and sportspersons because they won 38 of India’s total medals, including 11 gold medals. India is now emerging not only as a performer on the sporting stage but also as a credible and influential host of major international sporting events. Our hospitality is receiving widespread appreciation. We have bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games, and we are determined to secure the hosting rights and organise the event exceptionally well.”
‘Resolutions and Dreams Cannot Be Fulfilled in a Day’
India won a total of 85 medals at the 20th Asian Games, held in Japan at venues including Aichi-Nagoya and Nishin. The tally comprised 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals. As in the 2022 Asian Games, India finished fourth among 46 participating nations.
Addressing the gathering, Modi said, “Resolutions and dreams cannot be fulfilled in a day. They are achieved through relentless hard work and dedication. Over the past 12 years, India has patiently and diligently built an entirely new sporting ecosystem. There was a time when India won very few medals at major competitions.
There were even several sports that the country knew very little about. However, we collectively resolved to end that pessimism, and the result is that our presence on the global sporting stage has grown significantly. A transparent system for sports now exists in our country.”
Kumkum Presents a Bow and Arrows to the Prime Minister
Among the medal winners who met PM Modi at Thursday’s grand ceremony were the men’s cricket team, which won gold under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy; the women’s cricket team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, which also claimed gold; the gold-medal-winning men’s and women’s hockey teams; and the medal-winning archers.
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Seventeen-year-old Maharashtra archer Kumkum Mohode, a gold-medal winner, presented a bow and arrows to the Prime Minister. The Amravati-based archer won two gold medals and one silver across the individual, mixed and team events.
The athletes also presented Modi with jerseys bearing their autographs as mementoes. The Prime Minister posed for photographs with all the medal winners and officials.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P. T. Usha, ICC chairman Jay Shah and senior officials from various sports federations were also present at the special ceremony.
#WATCH दिल्ली: प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने कहा, "… आने वाले वर्षों में हजारों नए खिलाड़ियों को खेलो इंडिया और इमर्जिंग खेलो इंडिया के माध्यम से आगे बढ़ने के लिए अवसर मिलेंगे… 2028 में लॉस एंजिल्स ओलंपिक है। 2030 में भारत कॉमन वेल्थ की मेज़बानी करेगा… आज गांव-गांव जाकर प्रतिभाओं को तलाशा जा रहा है और तराशा भी जा रहा है…" (सोर्स: DD)
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) October 15, 2026
‘You Have Made 1.4 Billion Indians Proud’
Praising the medal winners in his address, Modi said, “All of you have made 1.4 billion Indians proud. Your greatest achievement is that you have raised the Tricolour high. This is not merely your success; it is also the success of millions of fellow Indians. On behalf of the entire nation, I congratulate you.”
Modi particularly lauded the gold-medal-winning men’s and women’s cricket teams, the men’s and women’s hockey teams, and the Indian archers, who won five gold medals.
Referring to the women’s hockey team, Modi said, “We had not won the Asian hockey gold medal in women’s hockey for 44 years, but this team has achieved that feat. Their performance has been highly commendable.”
Shreyas’s Team in Delhi on Thursday, Match on Saturday
India’s T20 team, captained by Shreyas Iyer, is scheduled to play the final match of its series against the West Indies in Bengaluru on Saturday. Despite the upcoming fixture, the entire Indian team that won the Asian Games gold under Shreyas’s leadership attended Thursday’s ceremony with the Prime Minister in Delhi.
The gold-medal-winning women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, was also present. Smriti Mandhana will take over as the new captain of the Indian team from Friday.
Harmanpreet Gifts a Jersey, Golfer Pranavi Presents a Glove and Ball
Harmanpreet Kaur presented the Prime Minister with an autographed jersey. Gold-medal-winning golfer Pranavi Urs gifted Modi a framed golf glove and golf ball.