New Delhi [India], October 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged India's Asian Games 2026 heroes to connect with the children back at their homes and go back to the grounds where their sporting journey started, pointing out how important their experience could be for them and encouraging them to take up sports. 
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.
Speaking in his address to the players, PM Modi said, "Whenever you get an opportunity, meet the children of your villages and cities. Go to different schools. The grounds where you started playing, go there. Your experiences can be very useful for those children. It is possible that a small chat with you might give a child the encouragement to move forward in sports."
He also noted the importance of sports beyond the playing field and how it teaches discipline and bouncing back from failures. 
"The youth of the country do not just get inspiration for sports from you. Because the role of sports is not limited only to the ground. Sports teach us discipline in life. The lesson of getting up again after falling in life, and winning after losing, is learned from sports. How to remain steadfast for a long time toward a goal, and how to mould oneself according to the circumstances. Sports become a part of our daily lives. This sportsmanship spirit comes in handy throughout life. I always say that 'Jo Khelega, Woh Khilega' (the one who plays, will shine)," he said.
The Prime Minister wished the athletes the very best in their upcoming tournaments, saying that their "enthusiasm and self-confidence are the biggest strength of New India". Athletes joined him in unison as he called them to say with him, 'Viksit Bharat at 2047, we will do it'.
"This enthusiasm of yours, this self-confidence, this is the biggest strength of the new India. With this self-confidence, we have to take India to new heights. So come, once again with full strength, say with me: Viksit Bharat at 2047, we will do it," PM Modi said.
He also said that the country's success at the Asian Games is "also a reflection of the country's changing spirit". 
"It serves as an example of how the youth of our country today are eager to reach every pinnacle of achievement. There is no milestone that stands taller than the determination of India’s youth, and no goal that lies beyond the capability of our young power. An infinite horizon of possibilities lies ahead, and it is the youth of India who are charting their own path. This is why, in a remarkably short span of time, India has emerged as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. Our young people are establishing companies in the space sector and working on satellite technology. They are developing new technologies for the defence sector and pioneering innovations in Artificial Intelligence," he signed off. 
The Indian women's cricket team, which clinched the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan, also attended the programme after flying in from Raipur on Thursday. Veteran batter Harmanpreet Kaur presented a signed jersey to the Prime Minister.
Athletes felicitated the Prime Minister with signed jerseys, a signed hockey stick and a shawl during the interaction. India's men's and women's hockey teams also presented jerseys to Modi, while women's team captain Salima Tete gifted him a hockey stick.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya was present at the event and sat among the athletes as PM Modi began his address. Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha also attended the programme.
The gathering included members of the Indian contingent, their coaches and support staff, IOA officials, representatives of National Sports Federations and officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
India finished fourth in the medal standings at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, winning 85 medals, comprising 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze. The result marked India's second consecutive finish among the top five nations at the continental event. India completed a historic gold sweep in three of its important team events: field hockey, cricket and kabaddi, with six medals for all six teams participating.
The contingent also registered several notable milestones across disciplines. These included gold medals for both the men's and women's hockey teams in the same edition, historic performances in recurve archery and India's maiden medals in soft tennis and mixed martial arts (MMA).
India also secured its first-ever gold medal in the women's trap shooting event, while the silver medal in weightlifting ended a 28-year wait for an Asian Games medal in the discipline. A silver in Greco-Roman wrestling also marked a significant milestone, ending a 64-year wait for an Indian finalist in the event.