NEW DELHI: Hailing the Asian Games Indian contingent as "GOAT" (greatest of all time) with special accolades for the performance of women athletes, PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the country's highest ever medal haul reflected the spirit of new India and was testimony to the fact that India was forging ahead in the right direction.
Interacting with the full Asiad contingent at Dhyan Chand Stadium, the PM said allocations for sports since 2014 had been increased three-fold and assured the athletes that funds would never be a constraint.
Modi said there was always a hunger for medals but encouragement and resources for athletes were lacking. He also exhorted them to launch a crusade against drug addiction.
"You have created history. This is the best performance of India in the Asian Games to date. It is a matter of personal satisfaction that we are moving in the right direction," the PM said and recalled the doubts over development of Covid vaccines and said when the country succeeded in saving lives and helping 150 countries, the same feeling of moving in the right direction was experienced.
Expressing pride in the contributions made by women athletes, the PM said more than half the medals were bagged by women and it was the women's cricket team that began the string of successes. "The daughters of India were not ready to settle for anything less than No.1 in the track and field events. This is the spirit and power of new India," he added.
He also congratulated the coaches and trainers and praised the physios and officials for their contributions. He bowed before the parents of all athletes and highlighted the contributions and sacrifices made by the families.
"From the training ground to the podium, the journey is impossible without the support of parents," the Prime Minister said.
Elaborating on the 'transformative' efforts undertaken after 2014, the PM said, "Our TOPS and Khelo India schemes have proved to be a game changer." He said about 125 athletes of the Asiad contingent were finds of the Khelo India campaign, of which more than 40 had won medals.
