Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness shakes hands with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, October 1, 2024.
Credit: Reuters Photo
New Delhi: The cricketing connection between India and Jamaica was underlined when Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted his counterpart from Kingston, Andrew Holnes, in New Delhi, and the two sides inked four pacts.
Modi gifted Holness a cricket bat signed by the members of the cricket team of India. Holness too gifted Modi a cricket bat signed by Jamaican cricket legend Chris Gayle, who was also invited to the lunch the Prime Minister hosted for his guest from Kingston. Ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was also invited.
“As cricket-loving nations, sports have been a very strong and important connecting link in our relations. Be it the legendary fast bowling of Courtney Walsh or the fiery batting of Chris Gayle, the people of India have a special affection for Jamaican cricketers,” Modi said after a meeting with Holness.
“We also discussed deepening our cooperation in sports. I am confident that the outcomes from today’s discussions will propel our relationship at a pace faster than Usain Bolt, allowing us to continually reach new heights.”
Holness also presented a photo of Modi’s visit to Montego Bay, Jamaica during then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit to Jamaica during the G15 meeting. The photo has Modi interacting with Indian diaspora members in Jamaica who had hosted him.
“In today's meeting, we discussed strengthening our cooperation across all sectors and identified several new initiatives. Trade and investment between India and Jamaica is growing,” Modi said.
"India has always been a reliable and committed partner in Jamaica's journey of development. All our efforts in this direction have been centred around the needs of the people of Jamaica," he said.
The Government of India has named a road in the national capital as 'Jamaica Marg', which was inaugurated by Holness on Tuesday.
One of the pacts inked during the meeting between Modi and Holness will set the stage for the rollout of the Indian UPI payment system in Jamaica.