PM Modi lauds sporting achievements by Indian athletes, Jammu and Kashmir team

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded sporting achievements by Indian athletes, including Gulveer Singh, Anahat Singh and the maiden Ranji Trophy victory by Jammu and Kashmir.

In his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address, Modi said Gulveer Singh, a talented athlete from Uttar Pradesh, has done wonders in one such sport, and just a few weeks ago, he created history by finishing third in the New York City Half Marathon, he said. Singh became the first Indian athlete to complete a half-marathon in under an hour.

Modi also mentioned squash player “daughter Anahat Singh”, who won a major international title in the Squash on Fire Open.

She achieved this success at just 17 years of age, becoming the youngest Asian female player to make it to the top-20 in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Ranking, he added.

The prime minister said, “I also came to know about the Asmita Athletics League. In this, many sporting events were organised on the occasion of Women’s Day on the 8th of March. Around 2 lakh daughters participated in the league.”

“It is good to see that the women of India are playing an important role in this sporting transformation taking place in the country,” he said. He lauded the cricket team of Jammu and Kashmir for bagging the Ranji Trophy title for the first time and expressed hope that this winning streak of sports persons there continues in the future.

Modi said March has been a month full of excitement and enthusiasm for cricket fans across the country.  He said when India achieved a historic victory in the T20 World Cup, a wave of joy swept across the country and all citizens are very proud of the team’s thumping success.        

Late last month, a thrilling match was witnessed in Karnataka’s Hubli, where the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team secured the Ranji Trophy, he said.

“It is most heartening to note that after a long wait of nearly seven decades, the team achieved its first Ranji Trophy title. This unprecedented success is the result of years of continuous efforts by the players,” he added.

Modi said the Jammu and Kashmir team captain, Paras Dogra, displayed extraordinary skills, and through his leadership, he played a significant role in this victory.

He said the performance of young Kashmiri bowler Aaqib Nabi, who took 60 wickets in the Ranji Trophy, is being talked about nationwide. “This victory has thrilled the players and coaching staff, as well as the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

He said this impressive performance on the cricket field has further increased enthusiasm for sports among the youth in the Union territory, and it will inspire many young people to take up sports in the future.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir have a tremendous passion for sports. I am glad that it is now becoming a hub for major sporting events,” he added. Gulmarg has already established itself as the host of the Khelo India Winter Games, and sports like football are also very popular among the youth there, Modi said.

“I hope this winning streak of Jammu and Kashmir sports persons continues in the future,” he said.