“Most Respected Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendrabhai Modi, International Olympic Committee President Mr. Thomas Bach, Distinguished guests and dear friends, Namaskar. Swagatam.
Welcome to all of you!
आदरनीय प्रधान मंत्री जी,
On behalf of the International Olympic Committee, And the Sporting Fraternity in India and the world,
I warmly welcome you.
Respected Prime Minister, we are filled with immense joy and gratitude that you have joined us today. You are the leader of the world’s largest democracy. Architect of New India.Your support to sport has made this Session in India a reality. IOC President Mr Thomas Bach, Members and delegates of the IOC from over 80 countries, and friends of the Olympic Movement.
It is an absolute honour for us to host this historic IOC Session in India after 40 years, and in Mumbai for the first time ever! Aamchi Mumbai ─ our Mumbai ─ welcomes all of you. In our culture, we say ‘अतिथि देवो भव’ It means: Our Guest is God.
You have arrived in India at an auspicious time. On the eve of Navratri, a vibrant Hindu festival celebrated with song, dance, and festivity, that signifies the triumph of good over evil. My dear Friends and Colleagues, In this meeting of the IOC, I see the confluence of two wonderful forces.
One is the Olympic Movement, which unites humanity… and transcends all national, racial, religious, and linguistic barriers. The other is India, the world’s largest democracy as the host of this meeting. The mantra and motto of our 5,000-year-old civilization is ‘वस ैव कु टुंबकम’, which our Prime Minister declared as the theme – at India’s Presidency of the G20 Summit last month.
It means: “The Entire World Is One Family.” Today more than ever, our world needs to reunite in fraternity and solidarity. This cannot happen on battlefields. It can only happen on sports fields. In all of human history, there has never been a more magical force to promote peace, friendship, health, fitness, motivation, and joy, than SPORT. Sport energizes us, unites us, and binds us together in the most beautiful ways.
Friends, India was always a great cultural and spiritual power. Now, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modiji, India is a rising economic power, technological power, a power in sustainable development, a philanthropic power…and also, a rising Sporting Power.
Our young girls and boys are exhibiting incredible talent in diverse sporting arenas around the world. Most recently, they have made us all proud at the Asian Games in China. Many of them come from very humble backgrounds. Some of them are in our midst today.
Let’s give them a huge round of applause. In conclusion, my dear friends from the IOC, Let me say this with great humility – India’s potential is limitless. In the years to come, young Indians will excel globally in every field of human endeavor, including sport. This is the collective dream of 1.4 billion Indian hearts.
It is also the collective determination of 1.4 billion Indian minds. Children are our hope. Children are our future. Today, we pledge to nurture and empower our 250 million school- going children through the Olympic values of friendship, excellence, and respect… not just in Indian cities but also in the small towns and remotest villages of India.
This meeting of the IOC is truly a defining moment in the history of sport in India. Today, let us recommit ourselves to the guiding principles of the Olympic Movement and work towards OLYMPICS OF ALL. OLYMPICS BY ALL. AND OLYMPICS FOR ALL
Our deliberations and discussions over the next three days will inspire and influence millions of young children…in India and all over the world, to embrace the transformational power of Sport. Our children are the ones who will help to shape a better, brighter, kinder, greener, happier, and more harmonious world.
A shared future that unites all the eight billion people on our beautiful and bountiful planet.
Dear Friends, Today, we are about to witness history. When our Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi declares the hundred and forty first IOC Session open, India will once again open its arms to the world, not just as a host but as a torchbearer for the Olympic Movement.
On that note, I wish you all a very wonderful session, and a very Happy Navratri.
Thank you. Dhanyawad. Jai Hind!“
(This story has not been edited by News Mania staff and is published from a Media Release)
