New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday interacted via video conference with 40 eminent sportspersons with the likes of batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, team India skipper Virat Kohli, Sourav Ganguly and six-time World boxing champion Mary Kom on the current scenario due to COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
This is PM's first interaction with the sporting fraternity since 21 day lockdown was imposed on March 24 to fight the disease.
The other sports icons included PT Usha, Pullela Gopichand, Vishwanathan Anand, Bajrang Punia, women's hockey team captain Rani Rampal, ace badminton player PV Sindhu, Kabaddi player,DSP in Himachal Pradesh Police Ajay Thakur, sprinter Hima Das, para athlete high jumper Sharad Kumar, top tennis player Ankita Raina, cricketer Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag, Cheteshwar Pujara and Yuvraj Singh.
"Interacted with sportspersons via video conferencing on the situation arising due to COVID-19. Sports requires self-discipline, tenacity, teamwork and a fighting spirit. These are also required to defeat Coronavirus," PM Modi tweeted.
In another tweet Modi wrote "From sharing videos that reaffirm the importance of fitness, helping the poor and needy, emphasising on social distancing as well as contributing to efforts such as PM-CARES, our sportspersons are doing excellent towards making India free from COVID-19." (UNI)