Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives insight into his meeting with Mithali Raj and Co after they returned from England.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday shared his thoughts on a number of themes and issues in his 34th edition of 'Mann Ki Baat'. One of the topics he spoke on at length was the success of the Indian team in the recently-concluded ICC Women's World Cup 2017.
Skipper Mithali Raj and Co lost the final to England, but the team's spirited performance throughout the tournament won the hearts of one and all. Modi gave insight into his meeting with the players after they returned from England, and shared with listeners the advice he gave them on how to deal with all the attention they have been getting.
Here's the full text of what Modi spoke on cricket:
My dear countrymen, we are continually seeing that our daughters are bringing laurels to the country in all the fields – be it education, economic activities, social spheres or in sports - they are scaling new heights. We as a nation take great pride in our daughters.
Recently our daughters performed brilliantly in the Women's Cricket World Cup. This week I had the opportunity to meet our daughters, the members of our Women's Cricket team. I felt happy talking to them, but I had a feeling that they felt burdened by the fact that they could not win the World Cup. This stress, this tension was evident on their faces also.
So while speaking to these daughters, I put forth a different viewpoint before them. I said, “Look, this is the age of the media. So expectations get hyped up to such an extent that if corresponding success is not achieved, these turn into despair and even resentment.
We have seen during many such events where if the Indian players fail, the anger of the country is vented towards the players. Some people cross all limits of decency and say and write things that inflict pain and hurt. But it happened for the first time that when our daughters did not succeed in winning the World Cup, the hundred and twenty-five million people took this defeat on their own shoulders, never letting the burden weigh down these daughters of ours.
Not only this, they lauded them and showered them with high praise for their brilliant performance. I view this as a healthy and pleasant change and I told these daughters that only they were blessed with such good fortune, and hence they should banish any thought of not having been successful.
You may not have won the final match but you have won the hearts of 1.25 billion Indians. Truly our young generation, especially the daughters of our country are doing so much to bring glory to the nation. I once again extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to the young generation of our country, especially our daughters.
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