Sports News | Passion for Sports Common Thread That Ties India and Australia, Says Khadse
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse on Wednesday said a passion for sports is a common thread that connects India and Australia and efforts are being made to expand this shared interest beyond cricket.
Gandhinagar, Mar 5 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse on Wednesday said a passion for sports is a common thread that connects India and Australia and efforts are being made to expand this shared interest beyond cricket.
Khadse was speaking after inaugurating the Australia-India Sports Excellence Forum at GIFT City in Gandhinagar. The two-day event is a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at strengthening sports cooperation between the two nations.
“A passion for sports is a common thread that connects India and Australia. Through this historic forum, we are expanding this partnership beyond cricket and hockey into elite athlete development, sports infrastructure, and investment in sporting industries,” she said.
India's ambition to host the 2036 Olympics reflects its growing strength and commitment to sports, said the minister.
“With initiatives like Khelo India, TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), Fit India and ASMITA (Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action), we are working to build a robust sporting ecosystem under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji,” she added.
Highlighting Gujarat as a growing hub for sports infrastructure, Khadse expressed confidence in India's vision to become a sporting superpower.
“I am confident that exchanges like this will contribute towards making India a global sporting force. The culture of sports will continue to grow, and with strong partnerships, we will develop world-class infrastructure and training facilities,” she said.
The forum is designed to leverage Australian expertise in sports and introduce best practices to India as it works towards its 2036 Olympics and Paralympics bid, an official release said.
Discussions centred around elite talent development, major sporting event management, diversity and inclusion, and sports science, it said.
The forum objectives include knowledge sharing on holding the Olympics and Paralympic Games, strengthening ties between Indian and Australian educational and sporting institutions, encouraging corporate investment, enhancing athlete performance through advanced sports science and technology and building a roadmap for the future, the release said.
Also present at the event were Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green and Gujarat's Minister of Sports, Youth Service and Cultural Activities, Harsh Sanghavi, the release added.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)