Modi praises Lovlina Borgohain for objecting to incorrect India map shown in Glasgow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised boxer Lovlina Borgohain at his New Delhi residence on Sunday after she objected to an incorrect map of India displayed at a restaurant in Glasgow during the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Borgohain won a silver medal at the Glasgow Games.
India's Commonwealth Games medallists met Modi at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday, with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse and Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha also present. India finished fourth at the Glasgow Games with 39 medals, including 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze. A video circulated showing Borgohain flagging that a depiction of the Indian flag at a Glasgow restaurant omitted the Northeast; she raised the issue while athletes were celebrating. Modi asked Lovlina, "Kya hua wo restaurant waale se jhagda kar rahi thi? (What happened, you were fighting with that restaurant guy?)"
Lovlina laughed before explaining why she had raised the issue. "We had such a good performance and it was the last day of the Games. It was a happy occasion sir, we were celebrating and I didn't like it when I saw the distorted flag. I politely told them and they have made the changes also," she said. Modi praised the boxer for noticing the issue despite being in the middle of celebrations.
Modi told the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist: "To be able to recognise the significance of that map at a time when you were celebrating and the Games were over, I can tell you truthfully, that video was not ordinary. It will be remembered by people for a very long time."
Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu described an emotional podium moment after winning the women's 48kg gold with a Games-record lift of 190kg. Modi asked her about the tears she shed after winning gold. "I was very happy and emotional in that moment. I was crying because I missed a medal in Paris Olympics by one kilogram. I had faced a lot in these last four years. I was battling injuries and some family problems too," Mirabai said. She added that hearing the national anthem while watching the Indian flag rise made it difficult to hold back her emotions.
The interaction also had lighter moments, with boxer Narender Berwal recalling a joke made by a Pakistani boxer after their 2015 Military World Games bout.
Modi praised boxer Jadumani Singh, who dedicated his Glasgow gold to the Indian armed forces after defeating a Pakistani opponent on July 26, celebrated as Vijay Diwas.