PM Modi reviews Olympic preparations; to interact with athletes on July 13

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of India's Olympic preparations on Friday and also announced an interaction with the country's Tokyo-bound sportspersons on July 13, three days before the first batch departs for the Japanese capital.

The interaction with the athletes will be held virtually owing to the COVID-19 situation.

"Reviewed preparations for facilitation of India's contingent at

@Tokyo2020. Discussed the logistical details, their vaccination status, the multi-disciplinary support being given," Modi tweeted.

"On behalf of 130 crore Indians, I would be interacting with the Olympics bound athletes on 13th July to wish them luck. Let us all #Cheer4India," he said.

The earlier announcement of his July 13 engagement with athletes was made on government's citizen engagement platform, MyGovIndia's twitter page.

The first batch of India's Olympic-bound athletes will depart for Tokyo in a charter Air India flight on July 17.

More than 120 athletes are bound for the Games, even though the Indian Olympic Association is yet to officially divulge the strength of the contingent.

In view of the raging COVID-19 cases, the Tokyo Olympics will be held under a state of emergency in Japan without spectators from July 23 to August 8.