Modi tells Para Games stars their rise from 14 to 114 medals is “the pinnacle of your hard work”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met India's Asian Para Games contingent in New Delhi on Thursday and told the athletes that their rise from 14 medals in 2010 to 114 this year was "the result of the pinnacle of your hard work".

Speaking at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Modi congratulated the medallists on behalf of 140 crore citizens and thanked their families, trainers and coaches.

The record

The Prime Minister said India's 114 medals comprised 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze, along with five world records and nine Asian records. At the 2010 Games, India had won one gold and 14 medals in all. He said 34 of the 56 women athletes won medals, Indian players took all three podium places in four events, and the contingent won nine golds on the final day alone. Of 61 debutants, 36 won medals.

He named Mona Agarwal, who set a world record in para shooting, and said Honey broke his own world record. He also recalled that athlete Rinku lost her mother two months before the Games and dedicated the gold medal to her.

Sports policy

Modi said players supported under the TOPS scheme won 41 medals and Khelo India players won 19. He referred to the Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme, approved recently at over ₹1,800 crore, and asked the industry to ensure athletes can wear "Made in India" gear. He also mentioned the recent Cabinet decision on disability pensions, which lowers the eligibility threshold from 80 per cent to 40 per cent and extends coverage from birth rather than age 18.

What next

Modi said the Aichi-Nagoya podium is a launching pad, not a final destination, as India looks to the Los Angeles 2028 Games. He said Avani and Manish have already secured quotas for it, and asked the athletes to mentor young people in schools and colleges.

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Source: official release by the Prime Minister's Office, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (05 NOV 2026 7:52PM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi interacts with Indian Contingent that participated in Asian Para Games 2026; also English rendering of PM's speech during interaction with India’s Asian Para Games Champions.