Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) along with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan for an event celebrating India-Australia sporting ties.
The event was attended by several Australian sporting legends, including former cricketer Steve Waugh and Lisa Sthalekar, and highlighted the growing role of sports, cultural exchanges and people-to-people connections as key pillars of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
During the event, Modi and Albanese jointly unveiled the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap, aimed at expanding cooperation in sports training and capacity building, sports science and technology, and the sports industry and investment sectors.
The roadmap also proposes the organisation of an India-Australia Youth Sports Festival. The two leaders welcomed the growing collaboration between the two countries in the field of sports.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi said sports play a unique role in bringing people together and noted that the roadmap would help diversify and strengthen the sporting partnership between India and Australia.
Congratulating Australia on its women’s cricket World Cup victory, Modi said both countries were entering a significant decade in international sports, with India set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and Australia preparing to host the Brisbane Olympic Games in 2032.
He said these major sporting events would create new opportunities for deeper cooperation between the two countries in sports and related industries.
During the visit, the two leaders also interacted with young athletes participating in demonstrations of kabaddi, Australian Football and cricket exhibition matches.
The visit underscored the strong sporting links and growing people-to-people ties between India and Australia.
