According to The Times of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised athletes aged 15 to 17 for securing medals at the Asian Games 2026 and stressed the importance of early talent identification through the Khelo India programme. He highlighted that women contributed 38 of India’s 85 medals, including 11 golds, while cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a member of the gold‑winning men’s cricket side, smiled at the New Delhi felicitation ceremony.
India Today reported that Modi told the medallists the success would help make an Olympics in India happen and urged them to aim big for future competitions. The coverage underscored his message of inspiration to the young athletes following the ceremony.
