New Delhi [India], November 5 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interactions with the Indian para-athletes motivated them and encouraged young people across the country to take up sports, highlighting the importance of para-athletes in India's sporting journey.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with members of India's Asian Para Games 2026 contingent at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi, congratulating the para-athletes on their historic performance in Aichi-Nagoya, where India secured fourth place with a record 114 medals.

Speaking to ANI, Raksha Khadse said PM Modi's personal interactions with para-athletes motivate them and inspire young people to take up sports, adding that the government is committed to providing athletes with necessary facilities. She also expressed confidence that Indian para-athletes and other sportspersons would perform well and win medals at the Los Angeles Games, recalling India's 114-medal tally at the Asian Para Games.

'PM Modi motivates para-athletes. PM knows almost all athletes by their names and speaks to them personally. When para-athletes win medals, they motivate the youth of the country and get to learn from them. So, for us, para-athletes are as important as other athletes. PM has made an effort to have a dialogue with athletes of the country and motivate them, and the Govt provides them all the facilities that they deserve. When we speak of a sporting nation, youth learn a lot by looking at these athletes. They feel that they too should take up sports and win medals for India. Our country is now performing well in sports other than Cricket as well; medals are being won. So, the Govt of India is making all efforts to see how to bring youth towards sports,' she said.

'We are fully confident that even in LA, our para-athletes and other athletes will perform really well and win medals. Our para-athletes won 114 medals,' she added.

India finished the Asian Para Games 2026 with 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals, surpassing its previous best of 108 medals at the 2022 Hangzhou edition. The country's contingent comprised 168 para-athletes, significantly fewer than the 309 who represented India at the previous Games.

The campaign featured several landmark performances across disciplines. In para-badminton, reigning Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar defeated compatriot Pramod Bhagat in the men's singles SL3 final to win gold, while Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Joshi clinched the women's doubles SL3-SU5 title.

In para-archery, Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi won gold in men's recurve doubles, while Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudhary claimed silver in the women's event.

India also recorded world-record performances in para-athletics, with Haney winning the men's javelin F37/38 gold and Sandeep claiming the men's 400m T64 title. The country also swept all three medals in the men's javelin F42-F44/F61-F64 event, with Sumit taking gold, Mahendra Gurjar silver and Sandip Sanjay Sargar bronze.

Mona Agarwal added another landmark achievement in para-shooting, winning gold in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 and setting world and Asian Para Games records.

India's 114-medal haul marked its best-ever campaign at the continental event, further underlining the country's growing strength across para-sports. (ANI)