'Mujhe Narendra naam se nafrat ho gayi hai': Narender Berwal recalls Pakistani boxer's hilarious reaction to PM Modi
New Delhi, Aug 10
Indian boxer Narender Berwal shared a light-hearted anecdote with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their interaction in New Delhi, recalling how a Pakistani opponent developed a humorous dislike for the name 'Narendra' after losing to him at the 2015 World Military Games.
Berwal, the winner of the silver medal in the men's 90+kg event at the Commonwealth Games 2026, described the humorous exchange to Modi when they met at his home on Sunday.
When recalling his meeting with the Pakistani boxer, Berwal told the Prime Minister that his opponent had been left bewildered upon finding out that the name Narendra was linked with both himself and his coach as well as with India's Prime Minister.
Pakistani boxer said to me, "Your name is Narender, your coach's name is Narender, and your Prime Minister's name is Narendra. I have started to hate the name Narendra," Berwal told PM Modi.
The anecdote caused a moment of light-heartedness during the conversation as Berwal recalled an odd memory from his boxing career.
The heavyweight boxer was one of the Indian athletes to meet Modi following India's successful campaign at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The Prime Minister expressed his congratulations to the medal winners for their dedication and hard work and commended them for having brought honour to the country.
India's boxing team had a historic performance at the Games, securing a total of 10 medals, of which seven were gold and three silver, thus achieving the country's best-ever result in boxing at the Commonwealth Games.
The total number of medals obtained was higher than the earlier record of six gold medals shared by England, which England had achieved in 1934 and 2018, and by Canada in 1986.
India's gold medal winners in Glasgow were Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), and Ankush Panghal (80kg). Jadumani Singh (55kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), and Berwal (90+kg) won silver medals.
India ended its campaign at the Commonwealth Games with a total of 39 medals-13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze-and thus came fourth in the medal table.
The Commonwealth Games ended after 11 days of competition, during which Scotland officially transferred the Games flag and the ceremonial baton to India, and Ahmedabad will be the host city of the landmark centenary edition of the multi-sport event in 2030.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Such a wholesome interaction! PM Modi taking time to meet athletes and hear their stories shows he genuinely cares about sports. And the fact that our boxers brought home 10 medals from Glasgow is just phenomenal. The future of Indian boxing looks incredibly bright! 🙌
Nice anecdote, but let's not forget the bigger picture. While we celebrate the medals, we need to invest more in grassroots sports infrastructure. Our boxers succeed despite the system, not because of it. Hope this historic performance pushes the government to do more for athletes beyond just photo-ops.
Hahaha, poor Pakistani boxer! Imagine losing to Narender, coached by Narender, and then hearing your PM is also Narendra. That's like a triple whammy! 😄 On a serious note, our women boxers absolutely dominated - 4 gold medals! Proud moment for every Indian. 🇮🇳
As someone who follows boxing closely, India's performance at this CWG was genuinely world-class. 10 medals including 7 gold is historic by any standard. The light moment with PM Modi shows a leader who is accessible and connected with our athletes. Well done, Team India!
This is such a fun story! But what really gives me joy is seeing 10 boxing medals - especially with 4 gold from our women boxers. Preeti, Jaismine, Sakshi, Priya, Arundhati - our girls are unstoppable! Also excited that Ahmedabad will host the 2030 Games. Bring it on! 🥊✨
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.