Wanted To Honour Hockey: PM Modi On Renaming Khel Ratna Award

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he wanted to honour the sport of hockey when he decided to rename the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.

The Indian Tokyo Olympic contingent on Monday went to PM Modi’s official residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, to have breakfast with the Prime Minister.

Interacting with the men’s hockey team during the event, PM Modi said, “I congratulate everyone in the team for the victory. You have paid the biggest tribute to Major Dhyan Chand. And after getting inspired by you, I made the decision because I wanted to honour hockey.”

“You have done wonders. Unless India wins a medal in hockey, we don’t think the country has won anything in the Olympics,” he said.

PM Modi speaks to the men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh after their semi-final loss against Belgium at the Tokyo Olympics. India’s star goalkeeper PR Sreejesh said the PM’s call before the bronze medal match acted as a big inspiration for the team.

Sreejesh told PM Modi, “Sir, thank you for talking to us after the semi-final loss. Everyone praises us when we win but after the loss, you called us and that was a big inspiration for us.”

The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams put up an inspired performance in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. While the men’s team ended their 41-year wait for an Olympic medal by winning a bronze medal, the women’s hockey team fought hard against the best teams in the world and achieved their best (fourth place) at the Olympic Games.

“More than the medal, parents’ belief in sports will rise. Earlier, parents used to push their child towards studies but now things will change. After this Olympics, parents will help their child excel in sports if his/her interest lies there,” PM Modi told the women’s hockey team

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and like us on Facebook for the latest updates and interesting stories.