Modi, Albanese unveil sports strategy; Australia backs India's 2036 Olympic bid

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Friday unveiled the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Canberra backing India's bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games.

Addressing the gathering, Modi said India was preparing to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and was striving to stage the Olympic Games in 2036, with sports infrastructure set to be developed on a massive scale over the coming years. The roadmap builds on the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Sports and identifies practical areas for collaboration as both countries prepare for a decade of major international sporting events, including the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad and the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. It also supports India's ambition to host a future edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

India and Australia will work together to share best practices on establishing and operating high-performance sports centres in India, particularly in priority sports, according to the roadmap. The two countries will facilitate two-way exchanges of coaches and coach educators using a "Train the Trainer" model and explore introducing a physical education exchange programme to promote collaboration in school sports, sports science and community participation.


Hailing the inaugural Big Bash League match scheduled to be played in Chennai in December 2026, the roadmap encourages Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India to work towards hosting annual BBL matches in India. Australia's Sports Commission will also help strengthen the capabilities of selected Indian coaches through the India-Australia High Performance Coach Development Programme. In addition, both sides will explore opportunities for talented young Indian athletes to participate in high-performance programmes in Australia through scholarships supported by the Government of India.

India and Australia also plan to launch joint initiatives to promote women's leadership, health, participation and high-performance sport, including bilateral tournaments for women athletes. The initiative draws on the Australian Sports Commission's flagship programmes and recognises sport as an important pathway for women's economic empowerment, leadership, health and social inclusion.

The roadmap also proposes collaboration to promote yoga and yogasana in Australia through knowledge sharing and greater participation. India and Australia will also strengthen cooperation in hosting major sporting events by exchanging best practices with Australian states, territories and national sporting organisations.

The roadmap proposes exploring exhibition matches and youth events in sports of mutual interest, including kabaddi and kho kho in Australia, and Australian rules football and basketball in India.