Watch: Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia Plays ‘Gilli Danda’

Even though cricket is his game of choice, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia was today seen trying his hands at a traditional Indian game: ‘gilli danda’. “I have played a lot of cricket, today I had a lot of fun playing ‘gilli-danda’,” he wrote on X alongside a video of him enjoying the sport.

“You also try it and let me know if you could hit the gilli or not,” the Aviation Minister wrote.

क्रिकेट तो बहुत खेला, आज गिल्ली डंडा खेलने में मज़ा बहुत आया। आप सब भी ट्राई करके बताइए, आप सब से गिल्ली उड़ी या नहीं…? pic.twitter.com/fJaYUmYk18

— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) February 5, 2024

‘Gilli-danda’, also spelled Gulli-danda is a traditional India sport that is popular in rural areas and small towns of the country. The game is played with two sticks: a large one called a danda, which is used to hit the smaller one, the gilli.

Mr Scindia was attending an MP sports festival in Ashoknagar district of Madhya Pradesh.

“The performances by children were full of enthusiasm and very exciting. I assure you that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our government will provide every possible help in honing the talent of these young players and preparing them for the biggest competitions in the country and the world. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he wrote on X.

आज अशोकनगर के बच्चे वुशू राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर खेल रहे हैँ और गुना के अर्शदीप सिंह भारतीय क्रिकेट टीम का हिस्सा हैँ। यह है हमारे गुना, अशोकनगर के बच्चों की क्षमता। मेरा सपना है कि मैं इन्हें ओलिंपिक खेलते हुए देखूँ।

संजय स्टेडियम, अशोकनगर में आज सांसद खेल महोत्सव के दौरान युवा… pic.twitter.com/zRMFRilLgi

— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) February 5, 2024

This, however, is not the first time that he was seen playing the sport. He was spotted playing traditional games like gilli-danda and archery at a Sansad Khel Mahotsav last year in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur.