NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday assured all possible help to Indian athletes in their endeavour to achieve greater heights and expressed confidence that the country will better its Hangzhou performance in the next edition of the Asian Games.
The Indian athletes produced their best-ever performance at the continental games, bringing home 107 medals, including 28 gold as the country finished fourth on the overall medals table.
Modi also congratulated the women athletes, saying they had given some amazing performances and accounted for half the medals won by the 660-member contingent.
“The athletes tried to give it their best shot. There was never a dearth of talent in India. The will to win was always there. They used to do well earlier as well, but there were a lot of hurdles which came in their way. But after 2014, Indian athletes are getting the best training, facilities and competitions abroad,” said Modi.
The PM said that the Asian Games haul was a good marker for the future of the sport in the country and added that the medal winners had opened “new avenues” which will motivate a whole “new generation”.