Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with athletes who brought glory to the country at the 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG) at his official residence on Sunday (August 9). Sharing photos of the meeting on social media, PM Modi wrote, “It was a pleasure to host our CWG medalists. I heard about their experiences during the Games. They all brought honor to the country with their outstanding performances. Their success will inspire the youth.”
PM Modi also made a video with the medal-winning athletes. In this 32-second video, he was seen with gold medalist boxer Sakshi Chaudhary and other athletes. In the video, he said, “Whoever plays will flourish. Always cheer for India… Bharat Mata ki Jai.” A day after this meeting, i.e. today (Monday), another video has surfaced in which gold medalist lifter Mirabai Chanu is explaining why she started crying bitterly after standing on the podium.
What did Mirabai Chanu say to PM Modi?
Mirabai Chanu, from Manipur, won the gold medal in the women’s 48 kg category. This was her third consecutive gold medal at the CWG. Mirabai Chanu won silver at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and finished fourth at the Paris Olympics. As soon as she won gold and reached the podium at CWG 2026, her tears were unstoppable.
In a video shared by news agency ANI, Prime Minister Modi tells her, ‘And Mirabai… three times in a row… so many tears were dripping, I feel as if a gold medal is dripping from each drop.’
Mirabai Chanu then told the PM why she was crying. She said, “I was very happy and emotional that day. The joy was overwhelming. I cried because I missed the medal at the Paris Olympics by 1 kg. What challenges come in a player’s life? What challenges did I face in these four years? I was constantly battling injuries. There were family problems as well. I spent these four years with great difficulty.”
Mirabai continued, “When I stood on the podium, all these things flashed before my eyes. The tricolor was going up… and when the national anthem played, I couldn’t stop myself. Tears flowed automatically, sir.”