Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, May 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth for successfully leading Team India to their historic Thomas Cup victory.
Notably, on May 15 Indian team India had scripted history by winning the first-ever Thomas Cup crown since its inception in 1949. PM congratulated the Indian shuttles for making the country proud and held an interaction with the Thomas and Uber Cup winner.
“Everyone was playing well, so my only aim was to bring all of us together as it was a team event and we had to play like a single unit. We used to have small discussions within ourselves about how to go about the game and I did not have to do much being a captain as everyone in the team had been doing good,” Srikanth said, on being asked by the PM about his mindset while leading Team India on such a big forum.
“It was a privilege for me to take Team India to the finals and I got to play the last decider game, which was really important. It was a big opportunity for me to represent India and I wanted to give my best,” he added.
Congratulating Indian team on behalf of the country for reaching such great heights and bringing the Thomas Cup home after 73 years, PM Modi said, “Earlier, we never used to excel in Thomas Cup. The majority of the people of the country had no idea about such a big tournament taking place. Now, I would like to congratulate the entire team as after decades you have hoisted the Indian Cup at that level, and I am extremely proud.”
“Leading Team India in the final of such a big tournament is not an easy thing. I would like to take this moment and congratulate Srikanth,” he added.
PM Modi had a telephonic talk with the Indian team on May 15, just after they won the Thomas Cup final.
In its 70-year history, no Indian team has ever reached the final of the Thomas and Uber Cup. The men’s squad reached the semi-finals of the Thomas Cup in 1952, 1955, and 1979, while the women’s team finished in the top four of the Uber Cup in 2014 and 2016.
The Indian squad, which included Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, and others, performed admirably at this year’s event.
