Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighted the century-old sporting relationship between India and New Zealand, describing sport as a powerful bridge between the two nations while announcing a Joint Action Plan to expand bilateral cooperation beyond cricket.
Addressing a gala lunch hosted by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon during his visit to Auckland, Modi recalled the historic tour of Major Dhyan Chand’s hockey team a century ago, calling it the foundation of the two countries’ enduring sporting partnership.
“This year, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of sports relations between the two countries. One hundred years ago, a hockey team led by Major Dhyan Chand created history by coming here, which continues to inspire our sports partnership today,” Modi said.
Joint Action Plan to strengthen sporting ties
The Prime Minister said India and New Zealand have adopted a Joint Action Plan on Sport to deepen collaboration across multiple disciplines, with a special focus on expanding cooperation beyond cricket.
“To increase cooperation in other sports along with cricket, we have created a Sports Joint Action Plan. A good start has been made recently with a coaching programme by New Zealand Rugby and Rugby India in Bhubaneswar,” he said.
The action plan provides a framework for cooperation in high-performance sport, coaching, sports science, sports analytics, sports business and exchanges between national sporting organisations.
Earlier this year, Rugby India and New Zealand Rugby jointly conducted a high-performance coaching clinic at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, where New Zealand coaches trained Indian coaches across grassroots and elite pathways.
Sport brings the two nations closer
Later, Modi and Luxon attended a Sporting Showcase in Auckland featuring emerging sports technologies and innovations.
Sharing his experience on X, Modi wrote: “Sports have always been a strong bridge between India and New Zealand. This year, we are also marking a century of vibrant sporting ties. PM Luxon and I attended a Sporting Showcase, where we saw a range of cutting-edge sporting innovations. It was wonderful to see how technology and creativity are shaping the future of sports while bringing our two nations even closer.”
Drawing a comparison between rugby and diplomacy, Modi thanked Luxon for the warm hospitality.
“Just as teamwork and trust are necessary in rugby, we too will move forward with mutual trust. We are on the same team, so we will tackle only the challenges,” he said.
The visit marks the first by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in four decades and comes as the two countries seek to strengthen cooperation across trade, education, security, people-to-people exchanges and sport.