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‘We learnt, we played’: PM Modi's ‘football morning’ with children in Gangtok | Watch

During his visit to Sikkim, PM Modi launched development projects worth over 4,000 on Tuesday.

Updated on: Apr 28, 2026, 14:58:26 IST
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a sporty morning in Sikkim's Gangtok on Tuesday as he participated in a game of football with children there, snippets of which he shared on his social media.

PM Modi signed the jerseys of the players and posed with them for photographs. (X/@narendramodi)
PM Modi signed the jerseys of the players and posed with them for photographs. (X/@narendramodi)

In the video shared by the Prime Minister, he is seen dressed in a blue track suit with India's flag on it, engaging in a football session with children. He is also seen warming up, scoring a goal and giving high-fives to them.

Before the game, Modi greeted the children, asked them “what will you teach me today”, and even teased them with “you’re not going to beat me, are you?”

After the session, the Prime Minister engaged with his co-players and told them, “In games, practice is not enough, there should be matches, that’s when true passion arises”.

“In coming days, we have to make the game popular. You know that India is preparing for the Olympics; by then, you’ll have become seasoned players,” he said as he sought to motivate the children.

Also read: Modi’s two-day visit to Varanasi begins today

Modi then signed their jerseys and posed with them for photographs. He captioned the video, “A football morning in Gangtok! We learnt, we played, we celebrated and above everything else, we enjoyed the game….”

WATCH:

Earlier, he shared pictures from the football session, captioning it, “Clearly, an energising football session with these youngsters!”

PM Modi unveils development projects in Sikkim

During his visit to Sikkim, PM Modi launched development projects worth over 4,000 on Tuesday and attended the closing ceremony of the state's 50 years of statehood celebrations held at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok.

According to the PMO, these development projects include a wide range of sectors such as infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, power, urban development, environment, tourism and agriculture, with the aim of accelerating holistic and inclusive development in the state.

During his address at the closing ceremony of Sikkim’s 50th year of statehood celebrations, Modi also criticised Congress, saying that what the Bharatiya Janata Party government is doing could have been done earlier by the Congress governments as well, but thet “pushed back the development of Sikkim”.

“After the BJP government came to power at the Center, development in Sikkim has gained momentum again. For the first time, the railway is going to reach Sikkim,” he said.

He also said that his government was not only committed to the "Act East" policy but was resolved to 'Act Fast' for the northeastern states.

  • Nikita Sharma
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Nikita Sharma

    Nikita Sharma is a Senior Content Producer with Hindustan Times. She is a Delhi-based digital journalist with five years of experience writing and editing news stories across beats including crime, politics, tech, trends and much more, both national and international. At Hindustan Times, she is part of the news team and focuses on breaking news, keeping a track of what is happening where, and chasing ever-developing news stories. She has a penchant for covering crime, geopolitics, and Indian politics with a keen eye for stories often overlooked in the daily news cycle. At Hindustan Times, she has extensively covered several key events including the US Presidential elections, Air India plane crash, Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, US’ tariff war, and others. As a Delhi aficionado, she particularly enjoys roaming and writing about the national capital — its heritage, food, art and culture, and the many problems that come with it — the pollution, waterlogging, traffic, and more. Nikita did her Bachelor in Journalism and Mass Communication from GGSIPU and started working as a digital journalist in 2021. During her first stint, she covered hyperlocal news at a Delhi-based newsroom, writing and editing stories on builder-buyer conflicts, civic issues such as potholes, waterlogging, lack of facilities at hospitals in Delhi, crippling of the city during peak monsoon season. She also wrote features covering Delhi’s art exhibitions, heritage walks, artist profiles, museums, classical Hindustani music concerts and dance shows. She entered mainstream news in 2023 and has previously worked at NDTV.Read More

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