75th Independence Day: PM Modi lauds athletes as Neeraj and other Olympians attend celebrations at Red Fort

PM
Modi
hoisted
the
national
flag
and
delivered
the
customary
address
to
the
nation
from
the
ramparts
of
the
Red
Fort
in
New
Delhi
as
the
country’s
recent
Olympians
and
officials
watched
on.

Ahead
of
the
ceremony,
India’s
first
Olympic
gold
medallist
in
track
&
field,
Neeraj
Chopra
said
it’s
a
new
experience
for
him
as
he
used
to
watch
the
ceremony
on
TV
and
now
he
personally
attending
it.

“Earlier,
we
used
to
watch
flag
hoisting
ceremony
on
TV
and
now
we
are
personally
going
there.
It’s
a
new
experience.
We
hadn’t
won
a
gold
medal
in
individual
sports
for
so
long.
I
felt
good
that
the
country
felt
proud
because
of
me,”
said
Neeraj
Chopra.

Meanwhile,
PM
Modiin
his
Independence
Day
Speech
applauded
the
Indian
contingent
at
the
2020
Tokyo
Olympics
and
said
the
country
was
proud
of
them
for
bringing
glory
to
the
nation
and
that
their
feat
has
inspired
the
future
generation.

“The
athletes
who
have
made
us
proud
at
Tokyo
Olympics
are
here
amongst
us
today.
I
urge
the
nation
to
applaud
their
achievement
today.
They
have
not
only
won
our
hearts
but
also
inspired
future
generations,”
PM
Modi
said
in
his
address
to
the
nation.

Alongside
Neeraj,
Sindhu
and
Mirabia,
around
240
Olympians
including
the
hockey
team
and
boxer
Mary
Kom,
support
staff,
and
SAI
and
sports
federation
officials
have
also
been
invited
to
grace
the
Gyan
Path
in
front
of
the
Ramparts.

In
Tokyo
2020,
India
recorded
its
best-ever
medal
haul
in
an
Olympics
event
by
bagging
a
total
of
seven
medals
–
one
Gold,
two
silver,
and
four
bronze.