Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday thanked female athletes -- Mary Kom, PT Usha and PV Sindhu -- who extended their greetings to him on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
Indian boxer Mary Kom, earlier in the day, had tweeted: "Raksha Bandhan is a day when we celebrate a beautiful bond between a brother and sister. On this day, I wish @narendramodi Ji a very happy Raksha Bandhan and pray for his long life. I thank him for all the support for girl child and women athletes. @KirenRijiju Ji #RakshaBandhan."
Replying to Kom's tweet, PM Modi wrote, "Thank you @MangteC! I consider it an honour to have got the opportunity to work towards empowering our Nari Shakti. I am also particularly happy to see more women pursuing sports and excelling in them. It is a great sign."
Former Olympic track and field athlete PT Usha posted a video on her Twitter handle, wishing PM Modi on the occasion.
"I wish Narendra Modi Ji a very happy Raksha Bandhan. I wish him good health always so that he can continue to serve the country with equal passion. I wish all brothers across the country a very happy Raksha Bandhan," Usha said in the video.
"Thank you for the wishes, @PTUshaOfficial. Your efforts to mentor young sporting talent is commendable. Efforts like yours are vital for Indian sportspersons to shine at the world stage," Modi tweeted, replying to Usha.
Indian badminton player PV Sindhu also shared a video on Twitter in which she said, "Good evening Sir, on this auspicious day. I wish you a Happy Raksha Bandhan and we all are very thankful that you have done so much for the country. Because of the COVID-19, we could not play the Olympics but next year, by this time, we hope, as a gift, we will give you as many medals as possible."
PM Modi thanked Sindhu and lauded her for the "gifts" she has already given to the nation, in the form of her multiple achievements.
"Thank you for the Raksha Bandhan greetings @Pvsindhu1. You have already given so many gifts to the nation and I am sure you will continue to excel in the times to come. Every Indian is proud of you!" Modi tweeted.
( With inputs from ANI )