Badminton World number one Saina Nehwal gifted her badminton racquet to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turns 65th on Thursday, as an early birthday present.
“It was a very big day for me as I got to meet him and wish him Happy Birthday in advance. I also got to gift him my racquet, which was a very special moment for me,” Saina told ANI here.
“I was glad to see that he knows so much about sports. He congratulated me for my World Championship and the Olympic medal, which was nice to hear,” she added.
Prime Minister Modi expressed his admiration for the 25-year-old champion and said that he will continue to support her in every way possible. He also said that it was very encouraging to see what she was doing for the country and hoped she continued to do well in the future.
“It’s very good to see that he wants more girls and boys to come up and play sports and he wants to see more champions in India,” Saina said.
Saina’s father Dr. Harvir Nehwal, who accompanied her, said that the Prime Minister had assured him, that if they were to ever face any difficulties in providing any facility for his daughter, they were free to contact him. (ANI)