US President Barack Obama hails Milkha Singh, Mary Kom

New Delhi: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday hailed two Indian sportspersons – Milkha Singh, Mary Kom – during the town hall meet at Siri Fort auditorium.

“India takes pride in people like Milkha Singh, Mary Kom, Kailash Satyarthi, no dearth of talent in India,” said Obama, while talking about various important issues between the two nations.

Milkha and Mary are household names in India. Milkha, also known as The Flying Sikh, is a former Indian track and field sprinter who won gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games. On the other hand, Mary is a five-time World Amateur Boxing champion and the only Indian woman boxer to win a Olympic medal (Bronze in London in 2012).

Obama also met Noble laureate Kailash Satyarthi during the event.

In his speech Obama also stated that 'the world would be a lot safer when our two democracies stand together', while referring to India and US.

The meet was the last engagement Obama's itinerary during his three-day-long visit to India.