India is going to Tokyo Olympics to win, not only for presence: Kiren Rijiju
- Jun 28, 2021,
- Updated Jun 28, 2021, 12:21 AM IST
NEW DELHI: Union minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju today stated that the Indian Olympic team is going to Tokyo to not just be present but to win.
Rijiju's statement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the athletes during his monthly radio show "Mann Ki Baat" and encouraged the entire country to rally behind all athletes heading to Tokyo to bring home medals.
Minister Rijiju said that he was very delighted listening to the Prime minister's Mann Ki Baat today because for the first time in India's history, the players have a Prime Minister "who is personally and enthusiastically supporting and encouraging them."
The minister further said that he feels very proud of being the sports minister of India .
"We have a Prime Minister who leads from the front, and I am also very confident that India will do better in the Tokyo Olympics because our standards are world-class, and our athletes are capable of competing against the best in the world," Rijiju stated.
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He said, "Medals is a really tricky position in the Olympics because you can't really anticipate what will happen when the finest athletes from all over the globe get together and compete, but I am quite certain that India will compete and win."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged the nation to rally behind all of the athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics, urging them to represent India proudly.
"Every athlete competing in the Tokyo Olympics has had to strive and has put in a lot of effort. "They are not going to the Games for themselves, but to make the country proud," Prime Minister Modi stated on his monthly radio program "Mann Ki Baat."
The Tokyo Olympics were supposed to take place last year, but were postponed owing to the COVID-19 epidemic, and will now take place from July 23 to August 8.