PM Modi Hails India’s 114-Medal Asian Para Games Haul, Urges Athletes To Aim Higher For LA 2028

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated India’s Asian Para Games contingent for winning 114 medals and urged athletes to build on their success as they prepare for Los Angeles 2028.

Interacting with the athletes, PM Modi said their performances demonstrated India’s emergence as a major sporting power and had won the hearts of millions of citizens.

“The podium at Aichi-Nagoya is not the final destination of your journey,” he said, encouraging them to use the achievement as a launching pad for bigger goals.

India’s contingent returned with 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals, setting five world records and nine Asian records, the Prime Minister noted. He contrasted the performance with the 2010 Asian Para Games, when India won 14 medals, including one gold.

The journey from 14 to 114 medals reflected the athletes’ dedication and the development of a stronger sporting ecosystem, he said.

PM Modi highlighted that 34 of the 56 women athletes won medals, while India swept all three podium positions in four events. The contingent also secured nine gold medals on the competition’s final day.

Of the 61 Indian athletes making their Asian Para Games debut, 36 returned with medals, he said, noting that Sandeep set a world record in his first appearance.

The Prime Minister praised Mona Agarwal for her world record in para-shooting and Honey for breaking his own world record. He also acknowledged the performances of Himanshu, Ravi and Jehan.

Recalling Rinku’s gold-medal victory after losing his mother two months before the Games, PM Modi said the athlete’s gesture of dedicating the medal to her while holding her photograph had moved the country.

He congratulated families, trainers and coaches, recognising the sustained effort behind the athletes’ achievements and the additional demands involved in preparing para-athletes for international competition.

PM Modi said India had worked to address inadequate resources, limited support and a lack of transparency that once discouraged families from considering sporting careers for their children.

Young athletes now had greater confidence that the country would support their talent, he said, pointing to the emergence of champions across archery, athletics, shooting, swimming, table tennis, badminton, judo and powerlifting.

The Prime Minister said sports were a means of character-building and nation-building, teaching discipline, teamwork and the ability to recover from defeat.

He highlighted grassroots initiatives, Khelo India Centres and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) as elements of a modern sporting ecosystem in which para-sports received equal importance.

TOPS-supported athletes won 41 medals at the Games, while Khelo India athletes secured 19, he said.

Turning to opportunities beyond competition, PM Modi highlighted growth in sports infrastructure, equipment manufacturing and broadcasting. He referred to the recently approved Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme, worth more than Rs 1,800 crore.

PM Modi called on manufacturers to produce world-class equipment, clothing and footwear for Indian and international athletes, saying wider global demand for Indian sports products would support MSMEs and create opportunities in small towns and rural areas.

The Prime Minister encouraged the athletes to visit educational institutions and share both their sporting experiences and information about careers beyond the playing field.

He also outlined measures aimed at improving the lives of persons with disabilities. These included an increase in pension amounts, a reduction in the disability threshold for eligibility from 80 per cent to 40 per cent, and provision for eligible children to receive pensions from birth.

PM Modi highlighted efforts to promote Indian Sign Language, including a dictionary of more than 10,000 words and the availability of school textbooks in sign language, alongside improvements to public accessibility under the Accessible India Campaign.

He said the objective was to ensure dignity and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Looking ahead to LA 2028, the Prime Minister said Avani and Manish had already secured their quotas and called for greater Indian participation and more medals.

He urged the athletes to celebrate their achievements during Diwali while setting fresh goals and beginning preparations for their next challenge.

Union Ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and Raksha Khadse, along with representatives of the Paralympic Committee of India and National Sports Federations, were also present during the interaction.