New Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised weightlifter Mirabai Chanu for her emotional gold medal victory at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, telling her that “every drop of tears” she shed on the podium was like a gold medal.

Chanu, who won gold in the women’s 48kg weightlifting category, said Modi’s words of encouragement during their interaction would motivate her to work harder in future competitions.

“Thank you Prime Minister @narendramodi ji for your constant support and motivation in our journey. Your words of encouragement to each and every medalist during our precious interaction yesterday will definitely motivate us to work hard in our next competitions,” Chanu said in a social media post after meeting the Prime Minister.

The interaction took place at Modi’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg on Sunday, where he met members of India’s Glasgow 2026 medal-winning contingent.  During the meeting, Modi asked Chanu about the tears she shed after winning the gold medal.

 “You have made everyone proud. So many tears were falling. I feel like a gold medal is falling from every drop of tears,” Modi told the weightlifter.

For Chanu, the tears represented more than the emotion of winning another major international title. They reflected a difficult four-year period marked by injuries, personal challenges and the disappointment of narrowly missing out on a medal at the Paris Olympics.

“I was very happy and emotional on that day. I was crying because I missed a medal in the Paris Olympics by one kilogram. A player has to face so many things in life, and I faced so many things in these four years,” the 32-year-old said.

Chanu said repeated injuries had disrupted her career while family difficulties added to the pressure.

“I was prone to injuries all the time. And I was facing family problems as well. The last four years were very difficult,” she said.

The emotional significance of the Glasgow victory became even stronger when she stood on the podium after completing her gold-medal-winning performance.

“When I was standing on the podium, and when our flag was raised, and when our national anthem was played, I couldn’t stop myself from crying,” Chanu recalled.

The meeting also featured a lighter moment, with Modi feeding Chanu a laddu while discussing her journey and the challenges she had overcome.

India finished fourth in the overall medal standings at Glasgow with 39 medals — 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze. The Indian contingent competed in a reduced programme that excluded several sports in which the country has traditionally performed strongly.

For Chanu, however, the Glasgow gold marked a significant comeback after years of setbacks and reaffirmed her place among India’s leading weightlifters.