New Delhi [India], February 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke about on going ICC Men's T20 World Cup and hailed Indian origin cricketers playing for the USA, Canada, and Oman who are making their mark at the event.
Addressing the nation in the 131st episode of his weekly radio programme, 'Mann Ki Baat', PM Modi noted many players of Indian descent represent other countries, Canada's captain Dilpreet Bajwa, Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Shreyas Movva; USA's Monank Patel, Saurabh Ranjane, Harmeet Singh, Milind Kumar; Oman's Jatinder Singh, Vinayak Shukla, Karan Sonavale, Jay Odedra, Ashish Odedara.
PM Modi said numerous athletes of Indian heritage are bringing pride to the countries they represent, highlighting how their success is clearly visible in global sporting events, saying wherever they go, Indians remain connected to the roots of their motherland.
"I often say that the one who plays, blooms sports unites us too. You must be watching the T20 World Cup matches these days. I am sure that while watching the match, you must be eyeing a particular player. The jersey may belong to another country, but on hearing their name, you realise that he is from our country. These moments give you a slight happiness because the player is of Indian origin and is playing for the country where his family is settled. They step onto the field wearing the jersey of their country and wholeheartedly represent that country. Canada's team has the highest number of Indian-origin players," PM Modi said.
"Canada's captain Dilpreet Bajwa was in Punjab's Gurdaspur, and Navneet Dhaliwal is from Chandigarh. This list includes many names like Harsh Thaker and Shreyas Movva, who are making India and Canada proud. America's team has many players from Bharat's domestic cricket. American captain Monank Patel has played for Gujarat's under-16 and under 18 teams, Mumbai's Saurabh, Harmeet Singh and Delhi's Milind Kumar are all prides of the American team. Many players who have played in different states of Bharat are now part of Oman's team. Jatinder Singh, Vinayak Shukla, Karan, Jai and Ashish are strong players of the Oman cricket team.
PM Modi said that Indian origin players are also creating a place for themselves in the teams of New Zealand, UAE and Italy. "Many such Indian origin players are bringing pride to their countries and becoming an inspiration for the youth there. This is the speciality of Indianness. Wherever they go, Indians remain connected to the roots of their motherland. And they also contribute to the delicacy of their workplace, that is, the country in which they live," he added.
Even though the USA, Canada, and Oman didn't qualify for the Super 8, they put up a brilliant fight against top global teams. The USA won 2 of their 4 group-stage matches, while Canada and Oman couldn't open their account, losing all 4 fixtures.