New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated the Indian men’s badminton team for winning the Thomas Cup, saying it was an epochal moment in the history of the sport in the country, and added that he could well understand the pressure the team would have withstood on way to winning gold.
India defeated 14-time champions and favourites Indonesia 3-0 in the final to lift their maiden Thomas Cup in Bangkok recently after previously reaching the semifinals in 1952, 1955, and 1979. The Prime Minister had invited the Thomas Cup-winning team and the Uber Cup side following their heartening performances in badminton’s premier global team events, and the players enthusiastically shared their winning moments with Modi.
The PM said it was the fulfilment of the dream of 1.25 billion Indians, who have waited for seven decades for this moment, adding that it’s not a small achievement. The win will fill the youth of our country with new enthusiasm and energy. For a country of 1.25 billion people, it (winning the Thomas Cup) is the fulfilment of their dreams, a dream they have seen for seven decades… It’s not a small achievement, said the PM.
You don’t know what you have achieved. When you meet with success on such a big stage, then the ecosystem of the sport in the country changes, the sports culture gets a massive boost, it fills the country with confidence, added Modi.
Modi also said that the Indian women’s team might have missed a medal in the Uber Cup this time around but he was confident they would definitely win it the next time around.
The women’s team, which also included two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, lost to Thailand in the quarterfinals.