Picture Credit: Twitter
Moments after para-badminton player and Noida DM Suhas L Yathiraj clinched a silver medal at the ongoing Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the athlete and congratulated the IAS officer cum athlete for "bringing glory to the country." Speaking to Suhas over phone, PM Modi said, "Many congratulations to you Suhas Ji for bringing glory to the country. The nation is proud of your achievements." In response, Suhas even recalled PM Modi's words to the athletes before they left for the Japanese capital for the event.
Suhas thanked PM Modi, also remembering his advice of focusing on the games and not the results. He said that it was these words that helped him during the Paralympic Games. He even said that he is insecure about his disability but talking to the Prime Minister of the country made him feel proud and honoured.
I have always been insecure about my disability: Suhas Yathiraj to PM
"Thank you so much sir, I remember the interaction we had after the Asian Games, where you had motivated the athletes and also before we left for Tokyo, you said to focus on their game instead of the results. It really helped me a lot. I never thought of becoming an IAS nor winning a medal at Paralympics. I have always been insecure about my disability but today I am talking to the Prime Minister of the country and I am really proud and honoured," Suhas said.
In reply, PM Modi encouraged Suhas and said that was the athlete's capability that helped him transform his physical disability into his strength.
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Those who keep trying, they succeed at the end: PM
"It is your capability that you turned your physical disability to power and the reason, even Prime Minister of the country is agog to talk to you. Those who keep trying, they succeed at the end," PM Modi said.
Notably, Suhas won the silver medal in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games on Sunday after losing the final of the men's singles SL4 event against France's Lucas Mazur. While Suhas had won the first set, he did a good fight in the second and deciding sets but was on the wrong side of the results. Eventually, Lucas won by 15-21, 21-17, 21-15 in a match that lasted over an hour at Court 1 of the Yoyogi National Stadium.