Star Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who recently returned from the Paris Olympics, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Independence Day, along with the rest of the Indian contingent. During the meeting, Lovlina revealed that PM Modi motivated her and supports every Indian athlete like a parent, offering encouragement even in the face of setbacks.
Borgohain’s campaign at the Paris Olympics 2024 ended without a podium finish after she lost her quarter-final bout to top-seed Li Qian of China. Lovlina made a promising start with a dominant 5-0 victory over Denmark’s Sunniva Hofstad in the women’s 75kg category. However, just one bout away from reaching medal contention, Lovlina faced a formidable opponent in China’s Li Qian, a three-time Olympic medallist. Despite her best efforts, Lovlina’s defence faltered in the quarterfinals, leading to a 1-4 defeat and ending her journey at the Paris Olympics. The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the Assamese boxer, who had set her sights on adding another Olympic medal to her collection.
“It was a very good meeting,” Lovlina told ANI after the event. Reflecting on her performance in Paris, where she missed out on a medal, Lovlina said, “As I could not win a medal this time, he (PM Modi) motivated me a lot. He supports us just like our parents support us.”
PM Modi acknowledged the efforts of the athletes who had represented India on the world stage. The Indian contingent included several history-makers, such as shooter Manu Bhaker, who made her mark by becoming the first Indian to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics. Bhaker proudly displayed the pistol she used to clinch two bronze medals in the 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed events, sharing her experience with the Prime Minister.
The Indian men’s hockey team, which secured its second consecutive Olympic bronze in Paris, also made a special gesture by presenting PM Modi with a hockey stick signed by all the players. The team members, including the recently retired goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and captain Harmanpreet Singh, posed with the Prime Minister, displaying their bronze medals.
Sarabjot Singh, who won a bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed event alongside Bhaker, and Swapnil Kusale, who earned a bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions, also had the opportunity to interact with the PM. Wrestler Aman Sehrawat, another bronze medalist in the men’s freestyle 57kg category, presented the Prime Minister with a signature-signed India jersey.
Notably absent from the meeting was Neeraj Chopra, the silver medallist in the javelin throw. Chopra had flown to Germany after the Paris Games to consult a doctor for a groin injury and to prepare for possible participation in the upcoming Diamond League Meetings in Europe.The gathering was also attended by Tokyo Olympics medallists Lovlina Borgohain and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, as well as Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha.
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