PM Modi to invite India's Olympic contingent to Red Fort

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will invite India’s Olympic contingent to the Red Fort as special guests on August 15 when he will deliver his eighth Independence Day speech. According to sources, Modi may also invite them to his residence for interaction.

India has been represented by a 228-strong contingent, including over 120 athletes, at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. With 56 female sportspersons in the contingent, India had its biggest ever female representation at the Olympics this time.

India has bagged one silver and a bronze medal in the Olympics till now. On July 24, Mirabai Chanu won the silver medal in women’s 49kg weightlifting. On August 1, ace shuttler PV Sindhu won a bronze medal after defeating China’s He Bingjiao in women’s singles badminton.

Also read: This bronze tougher than silver at Rio, says PV Sindhu after historic win

25-year-old Kamalpreet Kaur finished sixth in the finals of women’s discus throw at her maiden Olympics. Meanwhile, India’s women hockey team qualified for the semi-finals for the first time ever in Olympics history, and men’s hockey time still has a chance to win Olympics bronze, after a heart-breaking loss to Belgium on Tuesday.

PM Modi said that India has seen the highest number of players qualifying for the Olympics this year while dealing with the ‘biggest disaster in 100 years.’

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“There is a rising spirit of self-confidence in India and we are seeing glimpses of this at #Tokyo2020, where our athletes are putting up spirited performances and making 130 crore Indians proud,” PM Modi said on Twitter.

(With inputs from Agencies)