FIFA President Gianni Infantino has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his enthusiasm for sports, especially football.
Infantino shared a photo on social media showing PM Modi playing football with children in Gangtok, Sikkim. Along with the image, he wrote that football truly has the power to unite the world.
The FIFA chief, who has often spoken about growing football in South Asia, appreciated the Prime Minister’s effort to encourage sports among young people.
Football is very popular in India’s northeastern states, including Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, and Meghalaya. In many of these regions, football is as popular as or even more popular than cricket.
PM Modi recently spent time playing football with young players during his visit to Gangtok. He described it as a refreshing and enjoyable morning session with energetic youngsters.
This is not the first time Gianni Infantino has shown appreciation for PM Modi. The two leaders have met several times at international events. In 2018, during the G20 summit in Argentina, Infantino even gifted Modi a personalised football jersey with his name on it.
The recent interaction highlights growing interest in football in India and the efforts being made to promote sports at the grassroots level.