Prime Minister Narendra Modi played a friendly football match with children in Gangtok, promoting sports and youth engagement during his two-day visit to Sikkim.

Unfolding another chapter from his visit to Gangtok, Prime Minister Narendra Modi played a friendly football match with local children on Tuesday. From kicking the ball around the park to interacting with school-going children, it was a sight to behold seeing the country's top leader enjoying the beautiful game with local youngsters. PM Modi shared several pictures and videos from the football exhibition. In a video, he could be heard playfully asking children: "Mujhe hara to nahi do ge (I hope you are not going to defeat me. Are you)?"The morning football game in Gangtok was a part of PM Modi's broader engagement with youth. It also aligned with his persistent efforts to promote sports and fitness across India, through various initiatives.

In other posts on social media platforms, PM Modi described the session as "energising". "Nothing like playing some football with my young friends in Sikkim on a lovely Gangtok morning!" he wrote in one of the posts.

According to the itinerary, PM Modi is on a 2-day visit to Gantok, where he also held a roadshow at Lok Bhawan.

After reaching Gangtok, PM Modi launched several development projects worth over Rs 4,000 crore across the state while also attending the closing ceremony of Sikkim's 50th year of statehood at Paljor Stadium.

The projects span a wide range of sectors, including infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, power, urban development, environment, tourism and agriculture, the officials said. The Prime Minister also addressed a gathering on the occasion.

Modi was also scheduled to be present at the opening ceremony of the year-long celebrations of 50 years of Sikkim's statehood at Paljor Stadium last year, but he could not reach the venue due to inclement weather. He, however, addressed the gathering through video conferencing from Bagdogra in neighbouring West Bengal.