Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighted a recent India-New Zealand rugby coaching initiative in Bhubaneswar as he called for deeper sporting collaboration between the two countries, with chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi describing it as recognition of Odisha‘s growing stature in global sports.Addressing the Indian diaspora in Auckland during his visit to New Zealand, Modi called for greater cooperation in sports and recalled the rugby coaching programme conducted jointly by Rugby India and New Zealand Rugby at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar earlier this year as the two countries marked 100 years of sporting ties. He said the initiative reflected the growing partnership between India and New Zealand and underscored the role of sports in strengthening people-to-people relations. “India wants to learn rugby from New Zealand. For this, we need coaches and experts. New Zealand can significantly help us in this regard. I consider the recent coaching programme involving New Zealand Rugby and Rugby India in Bhubaneswar to be a great start. I am confident that we can achieve a great deal together in the field of sports technology. The futures of India and New Zealand are intertwined,” Modi said.Reacting to the Prime Minister’s remarks, Majhi said Odisha was proud to be at the forefront of a defining chapter in global sports diplomacy and that the rugby initiative had reinforced the state’s emergence as a globally recognised sporting destination. “As the Hon’ble Prime Minister rightly highlighted, the rugby coaching initiative in Bhubaneswar reaffirms Odisha’s emergence as a globally recognised hub for sporting excellence,” the chief minister wrote on X.Majhi said the partnership with New Zealand Rugby reflected Odisha’s vision of promoting international collaboration in sports by combining global expertise with the state’s sporting ecosystem. “The initiative will further strengthen Odisha’s ‘Padia to Podium’ programme aimed at identifying grassroots talent and preparing the next generation of athletes for international competition,” he said, reiterating the state’s commitment to building world-class sports infrastructure and empowering young athletes to bring laurels to Odisha and the country.The India-New Zealand rugby coaching programme was organised at Kalinga Stadium on May 21 and 22 under a memorandum of cooperation signed between the two countries for development of sports.
