New Delhi, Aug 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed India’s para athletes for their ability to overcome adversity and inspire entire families and communities, saying their achievements can change the way people look at life and demonstrate how sport can improve the quality of life.

Addressing the youth virtually during the Khelo India Dialogue, Modi highlighted the journeys of India’s leading para athletes and said their success carries significance beyond medals, particularly for families who witness their struggles in the early stages of their sporting careers.

“Our Para athletes are a big example of how sports change lives. When one sees a Parathlete in the field, the way of thinking about life changes. And when he achieves something, his whole family gets a new life along with that athlete. For those parents, brothers and sisters who see their child struggling in the early days, that athlete’s success gives new heights to their dreams and courage. I have always been inspired by such players,” PM Modi said while addressing the youth during Khelo India Dialogue.

The Prime Minister specifically recalled the achievements of Indian para athletes Sheetal Devi, Avani Lekhara, Sumit Antil, Nitesh Kumar, and Jandu Kumar, citing them as examples of the transformative power of sport.

“You all have heard India’s daughter’s name in Archery- Sheetal. When she won a medal at the Paralympics, the whole of Jammu and Kashmir and the whole of India were proud of her. Similarly, we have another daughter, Avni Lekhra, who won Paralympic medals twice. Whenever I meet her, I feel very proud. Be it Sumit Antil, Nitesh Kumar, and our recent champion, Jandu Kumar, such are our Para-athletes. Such are our teammates. They inspire us too. Sports is a guarantee to a better life, and it improves our quality of life,” he mentioned.

Modi also underlined the wider role of sporting culture in shaping individuals and society, arguing that the lessons learnt through competition extend well beyond the playing field.

“We often hear that the spirit of sportspersons is very important for a healthy society, a good family system, and a better culture. Sportsperson spirit is very important for a healthy society, for a good family system, for a good culture. It is very difficult to learn the spirit of a sportsperson without going to the sporting field. Sports not only teach us to be champions but also how to be better competitors. To get up, to fall, to fall and to get up again. Sport brings this feeling inside us,” the Prime Minister said.

The address also touched upon the government’s efforts to strengthen India’s sporting infrastructure and create a broader pathway for athletes from grassroots talent identification to international competition.

“Our government is fully committed to creating a modern sports ecosystem in India in the 21st century. Today, from sports universities to modern training centres, a system is being created in the country which will provide support at every level, from identifying talent to bringing it to the world stage,” PM Modi stated.

He added that India was working with countries across the world in areas including sports science, training and coaching, while also stressing the role of youth in shaping the country’s sporting future.

“Khelo India Samvaad is not just about sports. It’s a platform where every suggestion and opinion can provide a new vision to sports. The programme focuses on what youth think about the sports ecosystem, talent development, governance and Viksit Bharat and considers their suggestions. These things will be heard and will be included in the policy process. Therefore, I urge everyone to use this platform as much as possible. Let new ideas come. These new ideas of youth will be the strength of a developed India,” he noted.

New Delhi, Aug 27: Indian para hockey chief coach Daljender Singh has hailed the support received by the team from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Mallika Nadda and Special Olympics Bharat (SOB), saying the encouragement and infrastructure provided to the players helped India compete at the FIH World Cup for the first time and finish 11th in the world rankings.

Daljender said SOB played an important role in preparing the players for the international stage by organising camps and making arrangements for their participation in the tournament.

“First of all, I would like to thank the Honourable Prime Minister Modi ji and Dr Mallika Nadda, who fully support us, and the entire SOB (Special Olympics Bharat) organisation, which made excellent arrangements for these children and set up camps, enabling us to play in the FIH World Cup,” Daljender told media.

The Indian team competed in a 16-team field, with eight sides each in Pool A and Pool B. For the players, the tournament represented their first experience of performing at a global event, and Daljender said he was pleased with how they responded to the challenge.

“The children gave a very good performance, as it was their first experience, and they did well there. We had 16 teams, with 8 in Pool B and 8 in Pool A. We are ranked 11th in the world rankings. I am very happy that the children enjoyed themselves there,” he added.

Beyond the results, Daljender said the international exposure had given the players an opportunity to enjoy representing India and to test themselves against teams from around the world.

The chief coach also spoke about the impact of encouragement from Prime Minister Modi, saying interactions with him provided additional motivation to both the coaching staff and the players.

“I get a lot of encouragement from him. Talking to the Prime Minister gives me a lot of encouragement, and I feel like playing with more enthusiasm. The children also try a lot to get a chance to talk to the Prime Minister, and he is very helpful,” he stated.

New Delhi : FIFA has reportedly sacked its chief operating officer Kevin Lamour after he criticised president Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to investors.

The staff of the world body were informed of the development via an email from its secretary general, Mattias Grafstorm, who told the organisation that the two parties have “agreed to part ways”.

A report in BBC Sport quoted a FIFA spokesperson saying that “the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026. FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future.”

The report further quoted the letter sent to the staff, saying that the decision was made after ‘careful consideration’. “I would like to provide you with an important update regarding a change within the FIFA Administration.

“Following recent discussions, FIFA and our Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, have agreed to part ways. This decision was made after careful consideration and with great respect for Kevin, both personally and professionally… I felt it was important that I personally provide you with this update, and I would like to express my gratitude to Kevin for these contributions and for his work and commitment on behalf of FIFA on a daily basis. I wish Kevin all the best for the future,” it said.

This came after Lamour criticised Infantino’s plan to sell the stakes of the World Cup, which was later abandoned by the 56-year-old after he received severe backlash from UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF. Lamour had called the sell-off plan “the project of one person”.

He further stated that the FIFA administration was “deceived” about the abandoned plan. “Our mission – the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated, and exemplary FIFA employees – is to serve football. A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite,” he had said.

Lamour went vocal and was not worried about his job in the governing body. “If that means I lose my job, then so be it,” he added. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”

Recently, UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC accused the world governing body of “fundamental breach of trust” and “deception” over the management of the plans to sell the World Cup stakes. The three bodies had hit out at Infantino. “This is about something more fundamental: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it,” the joint statement read.

“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it. When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”