Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday encouraged the Thomas and Uber Cup Indian badminton contingent by meeting them at his residence. The players shared their experiences about various aspects of the game with the Prime Minister.
Reiterating the government's commitment to promote sports in the country, the Prime Minister said, “Yes, we can, the attitude has become the new force in the country today. I assure you that the government will give all possible help to the players.
Congratulating the Indian badminton contingent of the Thomas and Uber Cup, the Prime Minister said that India is proud of the achievements of the badminton players. Congratulations to you on behalf of the whole country. Today the whole country is proud of you. You guys have made history. This is no small achievement. He said that you are inspiring the future generation of the country. You have brought glory to the country. Now we don't have to stop. You still have to go further and bring more medals.
He said that the victory of Thomas Cup has brought pride to the country. India has achieved this feat after decades. Touching the heights of success fills every Indian with pride. The Prime Minister said that today the old perceptions about sports in the country are changing. During a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, 14-year-old shuttler Unnati Hooda said that what inspires her the most is that you never discriminate between medalists and non-medalists. I have learned a lot in this tournament. Next time the women's team will also have to register a win.
Badminton player HS Prannoy during his interaction with Prime Minister Modi said that it is a happy moment for us, as we won the Thomas Cup after 73 years. There was pressure during the quarter-finals because we knew that if we lost, we would not get a medal. We were determined to win at different stages.
Kidambi Srikanth, captain of the Thomas Cup champion team, said that our athletes will always be proud to say that we have the support of our Prime Minister and this is incomparable. I am very happy with the way he spoke to us right after our match. This will motivate all the players to perform well.