Gangtok, April 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi began the second day of his Sikkim visit with a football session alongside local children in Gangtok on April 28, describing the interaction as “energising”.
Images shared by the Prime Minister on social media showed him joining boys and girls for a brief game, with the Lok Bhawan building in the backdrop. He noted that the morning activity offered a refreshing start to the day’s engagements.
The visit coincides with events marking 50 years of Sikkim’s statehood. Later in the day, Modi is scheduled to attend the closing ceremony and unveil development projects worth around Rs 4,000 crore, focusing on infrastructure expansion and regional growth.
As part of a broader regional initiative, the Prime Minister will also virtually inaugurate sports infrastructure projects across the Northeast. Among them is the indoor cricket academy developed by the Meghalaya Cricket Association at Kurkalang, aimed at strengthening year-round training facilities.
The academy has been built with support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India and forms part of a wider rollout of indoor stadiums across six states. Officials said the initiative is designed to enhance sports infrastructure and improve access to modern training environments in the region.
MCA president James PK Sangma described the development as a key milestone, noting that earlier delays had been addressed with support from Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. He added that resolving power connectivity issues within a short timeframe enabled the facility to be completed.
According to officials, the new academy is expected to play a significant role in advancing cricket in the Northeast, with plans already underway to roll out structured training and development programmes for aspiring players.
