PM Modi Plays Football with Youngsters in Sikkim During Two-Day Visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently on a two-day visit to Sikkim, on Tuesday shared pictures of himself playing football with youngsters in Gangtok. Dressed in a blue sports jacket featuring the tricolour, PM Modi is seen walking alongside a group of young footballers in matching kits, each carrying a football, in what appeared to be a casual morning session on the field.

"Nothing like playing some football with my young friends in Sikkim on a lovely Gangtok morning!," the Prime Minister wrote in a post on X, sharing images of the interaction. In another post, he added, "Clearly, an energising football session with these youngsters!"

The informal sporting moment comes amid PM Modi's official engagements in the Himalayan state. He is scheduled to attend the closing ceremony marking 50 years of Sikkim's statehood and launch development projects worth over Rs 4,000 crore. As part of his itinerary, the Prime Minister will also visit the orchidarium at Swarnajayanti Maitri Manjari Park in Gangtok, developed as a world-class orchid experience centre. Tight security arrangements have been put in place across the state capital and nearby areas for the visit.

Later in the day, PM Modi will head to Paljor Stadium to participate in the statehood celebrations, where he is also expected to address a gathering. The projects to be launched span sectors including infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, power, urban development, environment, tourism and agriculture.

On Monday, PM Modi had earlier led a roadshow in Gangtok on Monday evening after arriving in the state. He was initially scheduled to attend the 50th statehood celebrations at Paljor Stadium on May 29 last year but could not reach due to inclement weather. He had addressed the event via video conferencing at the time and had assured that he would visit Sikkim in person in the future.