PM Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese launch roadmap at Melbourne Cricket Ground, outlining cooperation in sports science, coaching, major events, women’s sports and sports industry.
New Delhi: India and Australia on Friday took a major step towards strengthening their sporting partnership by jointly unveiling the India-Australia Roadmap for Sports Collaboration, a comprehensive framework aimed at expanding cooperation in sports training, sports science, technology, major sporting events, industry partnerships and women’s participation in sports.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese launched the roadmap during a special event at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), accompanied by Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan. Former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh and ex-women’s captain Lisa Sthalekar were among the sporting legends present at the event.
The initiative builds on the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Sports and reflects both countries’ shared vision of using sport as a bridge to strengthen people-to-people ties and the broader India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi said sport has a unique ability to bring people together and expressed confidence that the roadmap would diversify and deepen bilateral sporting cooperation. He noted that India and Australia are entering an important decade for global sport, with India set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and Australia preparing for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, creating new opportunities for collaboration in sports and related industries.
The roadmap, according to an official release, outlines practical areas of cooperation across five key pillars. These include capacity building through high-performance sports centres, coach education and exchange programmes, physical education partnerships, para sports development and promotion of yoga. It also proposes collaboration between universities on sports science research, athlete performance analytics, injury prevention, sports nutrition, wearable technologies and anti-doping initiatives.
The two countries will also work together on hosting major sporting events by sharing best practices in event management, organising exhibition matches and youth competitions, and establishing reciprocal arrangements between sporting organisations for training facilities and competitions ahead of major international events.
A significant feature of the roadmap is the plan to organise an India-Australia Youth Sports Festival to encourage greater engagement between young athletes from both countries.
The roadmap also seeks to strengthen cooperation in the sports industry by promoting partnerships in sports equipment manufacturing, sports technology, broadcasting, event management and start-ups. It envisages expanding India’s exports of sports goods to Australia while facilitating greater Australian investment and expertise in high-performance coaching, athlete development, nutrition, sports psychology and sports management.
Women’s sports have also been identified as a priority area. Both countries will launch joint initiatives to promote women’s leadership, health, participation and high-performance sport, including bilateral competitions for women athletes, recognising sport as an important avenue for empowerment and social inclusion.
Another notable initiative under the roadmap is the inaugural Big Bash League match to be played in Chennai in December 2026. The document encourages Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to work towards hosting annual Big Bash League matches in India, further strengthening cricketing ties between the two nations.
During their visit to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the two Prime Ministers interacted with young athletes participating in exhibition matches of kabaddi, Australian football and cricket, highlighting the growing sporting and cultural connections between the two countries.
The roadmap forms part of the broader outcomes of Prime Minister Modi’s Australia visit. Modi arrived in Australia on Wednesday for the second leg of his three-nation Indo-Pacific tour after concluding his visit to Indonesia. During the July 8-10 visit, he is holding bilateral talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with the two leaders focusing on strengthening cooperation in defence, energy security, trade, technology, education, sports and people-to-people ties as part of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
