New Delhi, June 28 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised Nagaland's grassroots football development programmes, highlighting the Nagaland Baby League and the Nagaland Women Futsal League as inspiring examples of how sports are nurturing young talent and creating new opportunities across the country.

Addressing the 135th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister underlined the growing interest among youngsters in pursuing sports as a career and said such initiatives were helping shape the future of Indian sports.

PM Modi said, "I often say, Those who play, blossom, today, the number of young people in the country who are both playing sports and blossoming is growing rapidly. Compared to the past,...