New Delhi: The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur on Wednesday launched Team India’s official cheer song ‘Hindustani Way’ created by AR Rahman and Ananya Birla ahead of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, beginning July 23.
The Tokyo Olympics will go ahead from July 23 to August 8. The mega event was slated to go-ahead last year, but it had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Let me first thank and congratulate Ananya and AR Rahman for taking the initiative, this is the moment when you are doing something for passion. It was not easy even to collaborate, we were in different bubbles and zones, it might be difficult for AR Rahman and Ananya to come together and make a cheer song for Team India,” said Thakur while launching the cheer song.
“I am glad that we are going to launch it today. I want every Indian to listen to this song, share it as much as you can,” he added.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra along with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur (Union Minister of I&B and Youth Affairs, Sports Minister), Rajeev Mehta (IOA secretary), and MoS for home, Youth affairs, and Sports Nisith Pramanik launched the official cheer song.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday interacted with the Olympic-bound contingent who would be looking to make the country proud at the upcoming Tokyo Games.
The virtual video conferencing session was started by Thakur wherein he introduced PM Modi and he thanked him for taking out the time to boost the morale of the athletes. MoS Nisith Pramanik and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju were also present along with Indian Olympic Association President Batra.
Athletes such as Mary Kom (boxer), Sania Mirza (tennis), Manika Batra (table tennis), Dutee Chand (sprinter), Deepika Kumari (archery), and Sajan Prakash (swimmer) were all part of the session. A total of 126 athletes across 18 sports disciplines from India will be heading to Tokyo.
This is the biggest-ever contingent India is sending to any Olympics. The 69 cumulative events across the 18 sport disciplines that India will participate in are also the highest ever for the country.