Melbourne | India and Australia on Friday unveiled a Sports Collaboration Roadmap to expand cooperation in training, sports science, technology and the sports industry, with the inaugural match of the upcoming Big Bash League season in Chennai being the highlight of this collaboration.
The opening Australian Men's Big Bash League fixture will see Melbourne Renegades face defending champions Perth Scorchers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) in December, marking the first time a foreign cricket league match will be staged in India. The eight-team BBL is one of the most followed domestic cricket leagues in the world after IPL and is usually held in the December to February window.
The announcement forms the centrepiece of a week-long "G'Day Namaste" festival across India, featuring Australian cultural, business and sporting events, according to a statement issued by the Australian government.
The India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap, released jointly by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at the MCG, seeks to promote partnerships in sports training and capacity building, sports science and technology, and sports industry and investment, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The event here was attended by Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan, former Australian men's captain and ODI World Cup winner Steve Waugh, and former Australian women's captain Lisa Sthalekar.
The MEA said the visit highlighted the growing significance of sports, cultural exchanges and people-to-people connections as key elements of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
As part of the roadmap, the two countries will also organise an India-Australia Youth Sports Festival to encourage greater interaction among young athletes and strengthen sporting links.
Welcoming the initiative, Modi said sports had a unique ability to unite people and that the roadmap would help diversify the sporting partnership between India and Australia.
He congratulated Australia for winning the Women's Cricket World Cup and said the two countries were entering an important decade in international sports, with India set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and Australia preparing to stage the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
Modi underlined that these major sporting events offered natural opportunities for closer cooperation between the two countries in sports and related industries.
"Australia and India are united by our love and passion for sport. This sports roadmap will focus on practical priority areas such as capability building, technology and research to strengthen this cornerstone of our bilateral relationship," Albanese said.
The Australian Prime Minister said expanding cooperation in sports would not only bring joy to Australians but also contribute to trade, tourism and investment between the two nations.
During the visit, the two leaders interacted with young athletes taking part in exhibitions involving kabaddi, Australian Football and cricket, showcasing the growing sporting and people-to-people exchanges between India and Australia.
The latest initiative builds on the strong sporting relationship between the two countries, particularly in cricket, while opening avenues for collaboration across a wider range of disciplines, sports innovation and athlete development.
