PM Modi Meets Indian Athletes Heading to Paris Olympics, Highlights and Interesting Nicknames

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently met with all the Indian athletes representing the country at the Paris Olympics. During the meeting, PM Modi made an effort to praise nearly every athlete, but two in particular—Hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and shooter Shreyasi Singh—caught attention for their unique nicknames. Harmanpreet Singh: The captain of the Indian hockey team became a topic of discussion because PM Modi has been affectionately calling him "Sarpanch Sahib" (Village Head) since the team won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Despite not being an actual village head, the nickname reflects Modi's admiration for Singh’s leadership style. Singh, amused by the nickname, laughed heartily when addressed as "Sarpanch Sahib." Shreyasi Singh: Another athlete who drew attention was 32-year-old Shreyasi Singh from Bihar. Although she did not win a medal in trap shooting at the Paris Olympics, Singh mentioned during her meeting with PM Modi that her friends call her "Vidhayak" (Legislator) instead of her real name, as she is a legislator from the Jamui constituency in Bihar. Singh has previously achieved significant success, including winning a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, two silver medals at the Commonwealth Championships, and a bronze medal at the Asian Games. Harmanpreet Singh has been a key member of the Indian senior hockey team for nearly a decade, participating in both the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics as part of the bronze-winning team. He was appointed as the captain of Team India just before the 2023 Hockey India League (HIL) and has led the team since then.