Sports Report Finds Common Ground for Victoria and India Ties
Victorian Government Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos MP today will launch a new report that examines how Victorian and Indian elite sporting organisations can learn from each other.
The report, ‘Victoria-India Opportunities: Advancing High Performance Sport’ by the Australia India Institute explores the vital role high-performance sporting ecosystems play in engaging both Australian and Indian communities.
The report includes wide-ranging interviews from 20 of India’s and Victoria’s high-performance elite sport organisations, including Australian Athletics, Hockey Victoria, Victorian Institute of Sport, Sports Authority of India, Inspire Institute of Sport (JSW Sports) and GoSports Foundation, and five Indian states including Delhi and National Capital Region, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
It also provides pathways for participation of athletes of all levels and abilities, acting as a bridge to enhanced people-to-people relationships between Victoria and India.
Minister Dimopoulos said this research provides an exciting opportunity for Victoria and India to collaborate and grow high-performance sport together.
“Victoria is Australia’s leading sports economy with an established international reputation for excellence and innovation across the sport industry,” he said.
“With India’s burgeoning sports technology sector and corporate sector involvement, this report demonstrates shared benefits to work together and thrive.”
The Australia India Institute CEO, The Hon. Lisa Singh said it was significant the Victorian Government identified sport as a key growth sector for enhancing bilateral trade and investment opportunities with India.
“The state of Victoria is renowned for its robust sporting culture, underpinned by world-class infrastructure across a diverse range of sports, with Melbourne serving as a prominent host city for major international sporting events,” she said.
“This report will serve as a guide to accelerate Victoria-India partnerships and connections for mutual benefit for athletes aspiring to participate or compete at the highest sporting level,” she said.
The report also recognises the significance of the updated Victoria’s India Strategy: Our Shared Future 2025-30 which establishes an ambitious platform to strengthen connections and enhance economic cooperation between Victoria and India and the ongoing role the Victorian India diaspora play in sports participation and connections.
The report suggests that for both India and Victoria to be better understand one another’s elite sporting organisations, the following should occur:
- Engage with private Indian stakeholders;
- Engage with Indian state governments;
- Co-develop and co-pilot innovative sports tech solutions;
- Deploy mobile-enabled solutions;
- Fostering collaboration to elevate India’s sports science and research Sector and
- Capacity building through knowledge sharing and capability transfers.
For media inquiries, please contact Head of Strategic Communications Sarah Whyte on 0481 484 571.