Agartala, 10th August 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with Indian athletes who brought home medals from the Commonwealth Games 2026 during a meeting at his official residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.
Among the athletes, judo gold medallist Asmita Dey shared an interesting account of her training stint in Varanasi and her deep admiration for Kashi Vishwanath.
During the interaction, PM Modi asked Dey about her training in Varanasi and enquired about the facilities at the stadium there. Dey said she had spent around 10–12 days in the city for training and had also visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple during her stay.
“I really love Kashi Vishwanath,” Dey told the Prime Minister, adding that she would even like to settle in Varanasi.
PM Modi further asked whether she had visited the temple while undergoing training there. Dey replied in the affirmative and said she planned to return to Varanasi after visiting her home.
The conversation also turned to Dey’s sporting journey and the role of government-backed programmes in helping her progress. She said the Sports Authority of India (SAI) had extended significant support and recalled being associated with the Khelo India initiative.
Dey said she had won a silver medal at the inaugural Khelo India Games in 2018 and had also seen PM Modi at the opening ceremony. According to her, the performance helped her enter the Khelo India scheme and subsequently provided an important platform for her development as an athlete.
Congratulating the medallists, PM Modi said their achievements had brought glory to the country. He stressed that a strong sports ecosystem was essential for developing a lasting sporting culture and expressed confidence that the athletes would continue to achieve success.
The Prime Minister extended his best wishes to the athletes and said he looked forward to meeting them again to celebrate their future victories.
