New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS): The UK government on Monday kicked off the 'India-UK Week of Sport' to celebrate the incredible living bridge between both nations in Indias 75th year of Independence.

From February 21-27, a series of on- and off-the-field interactions will highlight the shared love of sport and the opportunities it can create for people across both nations.

The Week of Sport will showcase the best of sport with events involving Indian and British personalities reflecting on their own journeys. It will include Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, cricketer Dinesh Karthik, para-badminton World Champion Manasi Joshi, tennis legend Vijay Amritraj and India rugby captain Vahbiz Bharucha among others.

Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, said: "The UK and India share a love for sports. Cricket, football, tennis, badminton, and hockey bring us together. The Week of Sport is a celebration of this bond and our living bridge.

"I look forward to more activities this year as India celebrates 75 years of Independence and the UK hosts the Commonwealth Games and the final match of the Test series."

This week's activity leads up to the 'India-UK Together 2022' initiative. The joint initiative, led by the British Council and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, will launch later this year.

It will celebrate the unique connections that can help shape the future of both nations through a diverse programme of activities -- highlighting the strong cultural links between Britons and Indians -- across sport, education, the arts, and much more.

As two great democracies, both India and the UK share a vision to empower the next generation of leaders.