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Indian hockey stars Harmanpreet Singh, Savita Punia and Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey expressed their happiness after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their teams' Asian Games 2026 exploits, highlighting PM Modi's inspirational words to the athletes and the close bond he shares with the players.
PM Modi interacted with India's Asian Games 2026 contingent at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday, as athletes, coaches and officials gathered to mark the country's performance at the continental multi-sport event. Indian men's hockey team clinched the gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games after defeating Malaysia 5-1 in the final, securing back-to-back gold medals at the continental event. With India having won the women's title after a 1-0 win over China, this marks the first instance of both men's and women's teams securing a double gold finish at the continental showpiece. Both teams also sealed their direct qualification to Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Following the win, Hockey India president Tirkey expressed happiness with how PM Modi appreciated the team's heroics and acknowledged the women's team's strong performances in recent months, which included a FIH Nations Cup triumph, a fifth-place finish in the FIH Hockey World Cup and finally an Asian Games gold. "The Prime Minister considers this victory (of women's team) to be a very big win. I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the way the Prime Minister thinks about promoting sports and hockey. Indeed, our women performed very well this time. Over the last 6 to 7 months, a new team has emerged. As you might have seen, even during the World Cup, the team's performance shone after several years, and they had an exceptional performance in the Asian Games." "The most important thing was that China, which is considered one of the top teams in Asia and won silver at the last Olympics, and the Indian women's team defeated them in a brilliant manner. They played with an exceptional strategic approach, and most importantly, every player in the team displayed great confidence. In terms of fitness, not a single player looked lacking from the first match to the last," he added. Indian men's hockey skipper Harmanpreet said that it is great to experience a warm welcome from the Prime Minister back home, noting how over the years, PM Modi has consistently spent time interacting with his athletes after and before major tournaments/wins. "It (meeting PM Modi) was very good, actually. Usually, before going to major tournaments and after coming back, receiving such a warm welcome and getting best wishes is a very good thing, and I am very happy. Today, all of us athletes got to meet the Prime Minister at the same place, and the interaction was very good," said Harmanpreet. Former Indian captain, goalkeeper and team's most capped player, Savita also was delighted after meeting PM Modi, saying that the Prime Minister mentioning the women's team's historic triumph, their first gold since the 1982 edition of the Asian Games, sends a "positive message" to the next generation". She also spoke how players from other teams take note of Indian players' meets with their PM. "Whenever we get the opportunity to meet PM Modi, its a wonderful experience. Even when we travel abroad for competitions, other players often remark on how fortunate we are that the Prime Minister of our country takes the time to engage with us. As athletes, it is truly heartening to receive such appreciation for our achievements. Today, all sports were duly recognized and celebrated; in particular, the mention of the womens hockey team winning a medal after 44 years sends a powerful and positive message to the next generationsomething that I found truly inspiring," she signed off. (ANI)
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