President Hosts Reception for Hockey and Cricket Teams

The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil hosted a reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan for the Indian Men's Hockey team that won the Asia Cup recently and the Indian Cricket team who won the Twenty20 World Cup. The Indian Men's Football team could not be present as they were involved in a World Cup qualifier in Goa. However the Football team was represented by the President of the All India Football Federation, Shri Priya Ranjan Das Munshi.

Addressing both teams the President said, "It is heartening to note what a successful year this has been for India in the field of sports! Our teams and sportspersons have delighted the nation with spectacular performances and victories that have made us all proud. This year we have three laurels to our credit, namely, The Nehru Cup in Football, The Asia Cup in Hockey and the maiden Twenty20 Cricket World Cup and in an individual sports the regaining of the World Title in Chess. Unfortunately our Football team is not here this afternoon, as they are playing a match in Goa today, after the originally scheduled match in Chennai yesterday had to be postponed due to rain. I congratulate the victorious teams for their hard work, motivation and dedication.

India has a long tradition of sports and athletic activities and the many indigenous games of our country are testament to the fact that we have always encouraged the friendly yet competitive spirit of sports. The importance of sports for a nation goes far beyond victories in the playing field, since the spirit of sportsmanship imbues several values which are essential for a well-groomed citizen of the country. Loyalty, courage, perseverance, teamwork and dedication are but a few of the many qualities which one may learn from sports and these qualities not only enable them to become good sportspersons but also better human beings. It is this socially constructive aspect of sports which is of paramount importance to a nation and in the light of the recent victories of our players, we can be certain that India remains committed in its encouragement of sports.

It is also encouraging to note that our achievements in sports are multi-disciplinary and I hope that this will encourage us to promote all sports and not just a select few. As a sports loving nation we must learn to appreciate the unique qualities of each sport and ensure that valiant sportsmanship does not go unappreciated, be it from any sport. The enthusiasm and participation of people is fundamental in the process of creating a culture of professional sports in this country."