New Delhi, March 16 (IANS). Whenever there is a match between the India-Pakistan cricket team, the eyes of the country and the world are on it. Recently, Pakistan’s team surrendered in front of India’s good batting and deadly bowling at Dubai International Stadium in the Champions Trophy 2025 league match. India showed Pakistan out of the tournament by binding Pakistan all four. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday responded in his style when asked about Indo-Pak cricket in an interview with the renowned podcaster Lex Fridman of America.
PM Modi said that the work of sports is to fill energy. The spirit of the game brings people from different countries together. Therefore, I would never want sports to be maligned. I really believe that sports play a major role in human development. They are not just sports, they connect people to deep levels.
Asked who is better in India-Pakistan cricket teams and who is not, “When it comes to techniques in the game, I am not an expert. Only those who are experts can tell. … Sometimes the results speak themselves. Just a few days ago, India and Pakistan played a match. The results show that which team is better.”
‘Football’ is quite popular in India ‘On the question asked by Lex Fridman, PM Modi said that it is absolutely true that the culture of football is very strong in many areas of the country. Our women’s football team is really performing well and the men’s team is also making great progress. But if we talk about the past, then in the 1980s, a name that always came out was Maradona. For that generation, he was seen as a true hero, and if you ask today’s generation, they would immediately name Messi.
While sharing an anecdote, PM Modi said that there is a district named Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh, which is a completely tribal area. Where a large tribal community lives. Once when he went to meet him, there were about 80 to 100 young boys, children and even some big sports uniforms together. When he asked him where he was from, he got the answer, “We are from Mini Brazil.”
Surprisingly, when PM Modi asked what is meant by “Mini Brazil”, he said that people call his village by this name. On being asked, people said that football has been played in their village for four generations. About 80 national level players have emerged from here. The entire village is dedicated to football. Villagers said that when they organize their annual football matches, about 20-25 thousand spectators from nearby villages come to see it.
The Prime Minister said, “I look at the growing craze towards football in India these days, as it not only enhances your passion, but also contributes to the creation of team spirit.
-IANS
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