The Indian team may not have won medals but the youngsters have won the hearts of everyone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday about the FIFA Under- 17 World Cup which ended yesterday in Kolkata.
He congratulated England for winning the Cup while stating that all the teams had displayed their best talent during the tournament held in India for the first time.
In his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi referred to some other recent sports events like the Asia Cup Hockey and Denmark Open Tennis tournament and hailed India's victory in these.
India won the Asia Cup after 10 years and while K Srikanth won the Denmark Open after Indonesia Open and Australia Open, he noted.
Turning to FIFA Under-17, he said there was excitement among the players as well as spectators during such a big tournament.
"The World Cup was hosted successfully and all the teams displayed their best talent. India may not have won the Cup but the Indian youngsters have won the hearts of everyone," Modi said.
Earlier, he tweeted, "Congratulations to the youngsters from England on winning the #FIFAU17WC. I also congratulate Spain for a spirited game."
In another tweet, he said, "#FIFAU17WC was a celebration of football, witnessing wonderful games. India was honoured & delighted to host the tournament.