All Smiles: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Overjoyed As PM Modi Praises Young Asian Games Stars - Watch

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi joined India’s Asian Games 2026 stars at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated the contingent and highlighted how teenagers are already winning medals for the country. The remark drew a smile from the 15-year-old cricket prodigy.

Sooryavanshi was part of the Indian men’s cricket team that won gold in Tokyo. During the ceremony, Modi praised the contingent’s showing and linked India’s success to athletes breaking through at a young age.

The moment stood out because Modi’s age-and-talent message appeared to align closely with Sooryavanshi’s rise. Though he did not name him, the camera turned to the young batter as the prime minister spoke about medal winners aged 15 to 17.

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Modi Praises Young Athletes

Modi put youth at the centre of his address.

“This time in the Asian Games, there were many players on Team India whose age was only 15 to 17 years. At such a young age, these players have enhanced the pride of the country with their spectacular performances. They have won the hearts of the countrymen. This shows that for success, age is not a restriction. In sports, it is the start made at a young age that becomes an added advantage,” he said.

He did not mention Sooryavanshi by name. But as Modi referred to teenage medallists, the camera shifted to the Indian cricketing prodigy, who smiled during the speech.

Modi then spoke about talent scouting and training at an early age. “Therefore, it is our effort that in sports, the identification of talent should happen at a young age. For children between 5 and 15 years of age, we are especially focused on identifying sporting talent and its training. In the coming years, thousands of new players will get opportunities to advance through Khelo India and Emerging Khelo India,” he added.

Medals And Milestones

Modi also praised the wider Indian contingent.

During the felicitation ceremony, he hailed the cricketers, hockey teams and boxers while commending the records broken and milestones achieved at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

He reserved special praise for the women athletes, linking their medal haul to a broader national shift. “Friends, I would like to especially praise our daughters. Out of the 85 medals won by India, 38 medals were won by our women athletes, and 11 gold medals are included in them. These medals are not just a number. This is a picture of a new India,” he said.

The ceremony in Delhi celebrated both India’s medal tally and the emergence of younger athletes such as Sooryavanshi, whose presence gave Modi’s message on age and talent a clear face.