Kiren Rijiju lauds Sania Mirza & Ankita Raina as duo set to represent India in Olympics

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has congratulated Sania Mirza and  Ankita Raina as the duo gears up to represent India in Women's Doubles Tennis at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics 2020  after entries were officially announced on Thursday.

Kiren Rijiju congratulates Sania Mirza & Ankita Raina as they look to participate in Tokyo 2020

Taking to the micro-blogging site, Kiren Rijiju gave special mention to Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina as he congratulated the duo who is all set to represent t India in Women’s Doubles Tennis at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

At the same time, Kiren Rijiju also mentioned that Sania will be making her fourth appearance in the Olympics whereas, Ankita Raina will be making her debut in the showpiece event.

Tokyo Olympics 2020

The 2020 Summer Olympics is an anticipated international multi-sport event that will take place in Tokyo, Japan from July 23 to August 8, 2021. The tournament, which was originally slated to take place from July 24 to August 9, 2020, was postponed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will not be open to overseas spectators. Despite the fact that it has been delayed until 2021, the event is still known as Tokyo 2020 for marketing and branding purposes. The Olympic Games have been postponed and rescheduled for the first time, rather than being canceled. After the Olympics, the Summer Paralympics will be placed between August 24 and September 5, 2021.

PM Modi's motivational techniques to boost the morale of the Indian athletes

During the latest episode of his monthly podcast Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent a word of encouragement to Tokyo-bound athletes ahead of the much-awaited Olympics. PM Modi said people of the country must support all athletes who are going to Tokyo to represent India. PM Modi further acknowledged the dedication and hard work of the athletes and urged fellow countrymen to take inspiration from them, saying "Many come from small towns and cities to compete for India at the highest level". 

PM Modi further added that people can send their good wishes to the athletes by using the hashtag #Cheer4India. PM Modi conducted a review meeting earlier this month to assess the preparations of India's Olympic-bound athletes. PM Modi also told his ministers to make sure the athletes have everything they need to be in good condition for the Tokyo Olympics

Initiatives that have been taken as a confidence-booster for the Indian contingent

Several initiatives have been started by the Indian government and state authorities to encourage athletes. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has already announced cash rewards for those who win medals at the games. The Indian government has set up selfie points at nearly 6,000 railway stations, where people could click a selfie and post it on social media to show their support for the athletes. Tokyo Olympics is slated to be held from July 23 to August 8 this year after being postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.