PM Modi plays friendly football match with youths in Gangtok during visit to Sikkim; shares pictures

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra ModiCurrently on a two-day visit to Sikkim, he on Tuesday shared pictures of himself playing football with youngsters in Gangtok.Prime Minister Modi, wearing a blue tricolor blazer, walked alongside a group of young footballers in matching jerseys, each holding a football, in what appeared to be a casual morning training session.

“Nothing better than playing football on a lovely morning in Gangtok with my young friends from Sikkim!” the Prime Minister wrote in a post on X, sharing an image of the interaction.In another post, he added: “Obviously what an action-packed football session with these young men!”The unofficial sporting moment comes amid official engagements by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Himalayan state. He plans to attend the closing ceremony to mark Sikkim’s 50th anniversary and launch development projects worth over Rs 4,000 crore.As part of the itinerary, the Prime Minister will also visit the Orchid Pavilion at Swarnajayanti Maitri Manjari Park in Gangtok, which has been developed into a world-class orchid experience center.Strict security measures have been imposed in the state capital and nearby areas for the visit.Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi will attend the statehood celebrations at the Palej Stadium and is also expected to address a rally. Upcoming projects span infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, power, urban development, environment, tourism and agriculture.Prime Minister Modi hosted a roadshow in Gangtok on Monday evening after arriving in the state.He was originally scheduled to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations at Palerje Stadium on May 29 last year, but was unable to arrive due to bad weather. He spoke through video conferencing at the time and assured that he would personally visit Sikkim in the future.