'Journey from 14 to 114 medals is the result of your hard work': PM Modi hails para-athletes

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded India’s para-athletes for their record-breaking performance at the Asian Para Games 2026, saying the journey from 14 medals in 2010 to 114 in the latest edition was the result of their hard work, dedication and a strong support ecosystem.

PM Modi interacted with members of the Indian contingent at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, congratulating the athletes for their achievements at the Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan.

India registered its best-ever performance at the continental event, with 97 para-athletes winning 114 medals, comprising 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze. The country finished fourth in the overall medal standings. “I had been eagerly waiting to meet all of you. Just a few weeks ago, I met the athletes who participated in the Asian Games. Now, I have the opportunity to meet all of you energetic companions from the Asian Para Games," PM Modi said during the interaction.

"Your outstanding performance shows that India is rapidly emerging as a major power in the world of sports. At such a big platform, you have not only won medals but also the hearts of crores of countrymen,” PM Modi said. “You para-athletes have once again shown that the highest flights are achieved through determination. On behalf of 140 crore Indians, I congratulate all of you. Your families, trainers and coaches have also played an important role in this achievement, and I extend my greetings to them as well,” he added.

Highlighting India’s progress in para-sports, PM Modi recalled that the country had won only 14 medals, including one gold, at the 2010 Asian Para Games, before making significant strides in subsequent editions.

“Your extraordinary performance at the Asian Para Games proves that India is emerging as a major power in the field of sports. At such a big platform, you have not only won medals but also the hearts of the countrymen. There was a time when India’s participation in most sports was considered merely a formality. In the Para Games, our country was far behind. At the 2010 Para Asian Games, India won just one gold medal and managed only 14 medals overall. This time, our athletes have returned with 114 medals,” PM Modi said.

“The journey from 14 to 114 medals is the result of the pinnacle of your hard work. This journey is a direct outcome of your dedication, unwavering commitment and the strong ecosystem created to support your success,” he added.

PM Modi also highlighted the contingent’s record-breaking achievements, including five world records and nine Asian records, saying the athletes had filled the entire country with pride.

“With 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals, along with five new world records and nine Asian records, you have filled the entire country with pride,” PM Modi said.

He further praised India’s dominance in multiple disciplines, revealing that the country had achieved podium sweeps in four events, with Indian athletes winning gold, silver and bronze medals in the same event.

PM Modi also lauded the contingent’s performance on the final day, when Indian athletes won nine gold medals. “It seemed as if you had decided that as long as the Games continued, the medals should not stop coming,” he said.

Highlighting the contribution of women athletes, PM Modi said 34 of the 56 women in the Indian contingent emerged as medal winners, describing it as another significant achievement of the campaign.

India’s 114-medal haul surpassed its previous best of 108 medals, including 27 gold, achieved at the 2023 edition in Hangzhou, China, underlining the country’s growing strength in para-sports.

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The Hans India