PM Modi to interact with Tokyo-bound athletes on Tuesday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the Indian athletes' contingent for the Tokyo Olympics on July 13 via video conferencing.

The talk is expected to take place at 5 pm.

The PMO said the interaction by Modi is an endeavour to motivate the athletes ahead of their participation at the Games.

Modi had recently reviewed preparations for the facilitation of the Indian contingent at the Games.

He had also discussed the journeys of some of the athletes on his Mann Ki Baat radio programme, besides urging the nation to come forward and wholeheartedly support them.

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A total of 126 athletes across 18 sports disciplines from India will be heading to Tokyo.

This is the biggest-ever contingent India is sending to any Olympics, the PMO said, noting that the 69 cumulative events across 18 sport disciplines that India will participate in is also the highest ever for the country.

The PMO said for the first time a fencer from India, Bhavani Devi, has qualified for the Olympics.

Nethra Kumanan is the first-ever female sailor from India to qualify for the Olympics, while Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj are the first swimmers from India to qualify for the Games by achieving the 'A' qualification standard in swimming, it added.

With PTI inputs