Prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met members of the India’s Commonwealth Games contingent who returned with medals on Glasgow. The PM lauded the sportspersons for making the country proud and said in a short video, “Jo khelega woh khilega. Always cheer for Bharat”
Among those who interacted with the PM was boxer Sakshi Chaudhary, who won the gold medal in the women’s 51kg category at the Games. India enjoyed a strong campaign in Glasgow, finishing with 39 medals, including 13 gold.
Sakshi, said: “Our honourable PM sir has welcomed all the medallists from the Commonwealth Games and we are feeling very proud of this. We have really enjoyed meeting him, he is very humble.” Modi, while interacting with the athletes, said: “Jo khelega, woh khiega. Always cheer for Bharat.”
The India’s boxing contingent enjoyed a particularly successful campaign, with the country’s pugilists winning a record haul of 10 medals at the Glasgow Games. Sakshi was among the seven Indian boxers who returned with gold.
However, there is little time for athletes from this nation to soak in the glory or dwell on disappointment. The all-important Asian Games 2026 are fast approaching, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.
India will look to surpass their best-ever performance from Hangzhou 2022, where they finished fourth with 106 medals (28 gold, 38 silver, 40 bronze), their highest-ever tally at the Asian Games. Unlike the truncated CWG programme, the Asian Games will feature a full roster of sports, including shooting, wrestling, badminton, archery, and hockey, offering a fuller picture of the country’s sporting prowess on the continental stage.
India’s contingent for the upcoming Asian Games is expected to feature around 600 athletes across 35 disciplines, following strict top-6/top-8 performance selection criteria. The national sports bodies have begun rolling out specific sport squads, with the final contingent list expected to be announced soon.
