‘Presented Lord Ganesha idol to PM Modi’: Olympic medalist Kusale

NEW DELHI: Olympic bronze medallist shooter Swapnil Kusale expressed happiness after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day, saying that meeting the PM gave him a lot of “positive energy”.

On the occasion of Independence Day, PM Modi met the Indian contingent of the Paris Olympics at his residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in the national capital on Thursday. Speaking after the meeting, Kusale revealed that he gifted PM Modi an idol of Lord Ganesha.

“It felt really nice meeting PM Modi. It gives a lot of positive energy. I presented him with a Lord Ganesha idol. He is very calm and motivating. He congratulated me on my medal and I felt proud for it. I will take a break for now but later I will start shooting once again, it is my life”, said Kusale.

#WATCH | Delhi: On meeting PM Narendra Modi, Olympic medalist Swapnil Kusale says, “It was a very good experience to meet him…PM Modi has a positive energy…I gifted him an idol of Lord Ganesha…He interacted with me in Marathi and motivated me…” pic.twitter.com/Pt6C3dRD8t

— ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2024

Mirabai Chanu, the Olympic medalist weightlifter who missed out on a medal this time due to a fourth-place finish in the women’s 49 kg category, said that it is a big thing for the athletes that the Prime Minister interacts and motivates them in every phase of their life as a sportsperson, be it before a big event or after it, even if they return empty-handed.

“It was really good (meeting with PM). He gave us a lot of motivation and inspiration. He wished us luck before the Olympics. It is a big thing for us that he interacted with us both before the Olympics and after it, even though some of us did not get a medal. He told us that we have a long way to go in our careers and can do a lot of things,” said Chanu.

On her future plans, Chanu said that she will be taking some rest after which she will start preparing for the Asian Games taking place in 2026.

#WATCH | On meeting PM Modi, Indian Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu says, “We got motivation and inspiration. Before going to the competition sir had met us…He gave us a lot of motivation…We got a lot of strength after listening that for him we all are gold…” pic.twitter.com/JBYByX09pP

— ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2024

Fourteen year-old swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu, the youngest member of the contingent also said, “It is a real honour and amazing feeling that I got to meet the prime minister today. I am here in Delhi and getting the chance to go to his residence and get kind of a one-on-one interaction with him”.

Dhinidhi, the youngest member of India’s contingent at just 14 years old, showcased her talent by clocking 2:06.96 to top Heat 1 in the women’s 200m freestyle. Desinghu, hailing from Bengaluru, holds the national record of 2:04.24 in this event, highlighting her potential and promise for the future. Despite her impressive performance in her heat, Desinghu finished 23rd out of 30 swimmers across four heats and did not advance to the next round. This marked her debut appearance at the Olympics, setting the stage for what could be a bright future in international swimming.

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse were also present during the meeting.

Earlier in the day, India’s Olympic medal winners were also invited as special guests at the Red Fort. “With India’s Olympic medal winners at the Ramparts of Red Fort, on the occasion of Independence Day. PM Shri @narendramodi ji invited them as special guests! #VandeMataram #IndependenceDay2024 #JaiHind”, Union Minister Kiran Rijiju said in a post on X.

India ended its campaign at the Paris Olympics with six medals, including five bronze and a silver. The men’s hockey team won back-to-back bronze medals for the first time in 52 years at the Olympics following their 2-1 triumph over Spain.

A highlight was the performance of star shooter Manu Bhaker. The 24-year-old became the first Indian athlete in the post-independence era to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics. This distinction was previously held by Norman Pritchard at the Paris 1900 Games.

In the women’s 10m air pistol event, Manu won a bronze medal, becoming the first Indian woman shooter to win a medal in this event. Alongside Sarabjot Singh, Manu secured her second bronze and India’s first-ever medal in the mixed team 10m air pistol event. Manu narrowly missed a hat-trick of medals, finishing fourth in the women’s 25m pistol shooting event at the Paris Olympics.

Swapnil Kusale added to India’s medal tally after he stood at the podium with a bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3P event at the Paris Olympics.

India’s javelin ace Neeraj Chopra failed to defend his Tokyo gold medal but brought the silver home with a throw of 89.45m.

Wrestler Aman Sehrawat, who made his Olympic debut, secured the bronze medal with a 13-5 victory over Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz. (ANI)