NEW DELHI / CANBERRA — Building upon the framework established during the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in Sports, India and Australia have officially launched the India-Australia Roadmap for Sports Collaboration.
The future-focused blueprint outlines targeted, resource-aligned priorities designed to capitalize on the upcoming decade of major sporting events. Key milestones anchor the initiative, including the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and India’s formal ambition to host a future edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Key Pillars of the Bilateral Roadmap
The strategic cooperation framework bridges sports bodies, universities, state governments, and commercial entities across five critical operational focus areas:
A. Capacity Building and Elite Performance
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High-Performance Infrastructure: Sharing Australian expertise to establish and run advanced High-Performance Sports Centres in India for priority disciplines.
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Para-Sport Development: Utilizing Australian capabilities in Para-classification, specialized coaching, and performance support, facilitated by inter-university partnerships.
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“Train the Trainer” Coaching Modules: Collaborative initiatives with the Australian Sports Commission to run exchange programs bringing Indian coach educators to Australia and vice versa.
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Grassroots & Physical Education: Launching institutional physical education exchanges focused on school sports and local community participation, alongside exploring knowledge sharing for Yogasana sports in Australia.
B. Sports Science, Technology, and Integrity
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Joint Research Networks: Fostering academic research between Indian and Australian universities focused on athlete analytics, wearable performance technology, injury prevention, and sports nutrition.
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Anti-Doping Frameworks: Driving international anti-doping compliance, with India’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and Sport Integrity Australia co-investing in capacity building via the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Asia/Oceania office.
C. Major Event Hosting & Exhibition Matches
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Cricket Footprint Expansion: Commemorating the inaugural Big Bash League (BBL) match scheduled to be played in Chennai in December 2026, Cricket Australia and the BCCI will work toward hosting annual BBL matches in India.
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Cross-Continental Sports Promotion: Creating pipelines to host exhibition matches for indigenous and mainstream sports—introducing Kabaddi and Kho Kho to Australia, and promoting the Australian Football League (AFL) and basketball in India.
D. Trade, Investment, and Industry Platforms
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Sports Industry Summit: Leveraging an upcoming Australia-funded Sports Industry Summit in Mumbai in December 2026 to foster corporate linkages across media broadcasting, sports startups, and equipment manufacturing.
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Export Scaling: Boosting India’s export of competitively priced sports manufacturing goods to Australia, while facilitating the export of premium Australian sports services (psychology, strength & conditioning, and athlete wellbeing).
E. Women in Sports Partnership
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Empowerment and Participation: Launching dedicated bilateral tournaments and leadership modules drawing from the Australian Sports Commission’s flagship templates, positioning sport as a primary vehicle for women’s health, leadership, and financial autonomy.
Pragmatic Implementation Architecture
Recognizing variations in corporate and governmental sports governance across both nations, execution will follow a flexible, demand-led operational model. Funding and resources for joint programs will be negotiated dynamically on a case-by-case basis to ensure economically sustainable and mutually beneficial outcomes.
