
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met India's Commonwealth Games 2026 medallists at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday. He told them, "Jo khelega, woh khilega" (The one who plays, will blossom) and…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met India's Commonwealth Games 2026 medallists at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday. He told them, "Jo khelega, woh khilega" (The one who plays, will blossom) and led them in chanting "Bharat Mata ki Jai". Modi shared a video of the interaction on social media, calling the athletes a source of pride. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya was also present.

India finished fourth overall with 39 medals, 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze, despite sending only 122 athletes against 210 in Birmingham 2022. Boxers led the charge with a record 10 medals, including seven gold. Gold medallist Sakshi Chaudhary thanked the PM for the invitation, describing him as "very humble".
Some may dismiss this meeting as just another photo-op, but the athletes' genuine warmth and India's fourth-place finish with a smaller contingent tell a different story. Others grumble about the medal count dropping from 61 to 39, forgetting that 30 of Birmingham's medals came from sports absent in Glasgow. The real test: how many of these boxers and athletes carry their form into next month's Asian Games, where a deeper field will separate the truly world-class from the lucky draw.
Sources (4): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, deccanherald.com, newindianexpress.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.