Photo: Associated Press
Australia has formally endorsed India's bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announcing Canberra's support during an event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also unveiled the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap.
The endorsement is expected to strengthen India's campaign to host the Summer Olympics for the first time, The New Indian Express reported.
Speaking at an event celebrating sporting ties between the two countries, Modi said India was preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and was expanding its sports infrastructure as part of its efforts to host the 2036 Olympics. He noted that while Brisbane would stage the 2032 Olympic Games, India was working towards developing world-class infrastructure for future international sporting events.
Albanese later expressed Australia's support for India's Olympic aspirations, reaffirming Canberra's backing for New Delhi's 2036 bid.
The two leaders also launched the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap, which aims to enhance cooperation in sports training, capacity building, sports science, technology and investment in the sports sector. The initiative also proposes an India-Australia Youth Sports Festival to promote greater sporting exchanges between young athletes from both countries.
As part of the partnership, the opening match of Australia's 2026–27 Big Bash League season will be held at Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in December. The fixture between the Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers will mark the first official match of a foreign domestic cricket league to be played in India.
According to the Australian government, the match will inaugurate a week-long "G'Day Namaste" festival across India to showcase Australian culture, business and sport. Modi said hosting a Big Bash League match in India would provide the tournament with extensive reach and viewership.
Emphasising the broader significance of the initiative, Modi said sport had become an important pillar of the India-Australia relationship. He added that the new roadmap would deepen cooperation not only in cricket but across a range of sporting disciplines.
The event was attended by Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan and former Australian cricketers Steve Waugh and Lisa Sthalekar, reflecting the growing sporting partnership between the two countries.
Albanese said Australia and India shared a deep passion for sport and that the roadmap would focus on practical areas such as capability building, technology and research to further strengthen bilateral ties. He added that greater cooperation in sports would also support trade, tourism and investment between the two countries.
During the visit, the two prime ministers interacted with young athletes participating in demonstrations of kabaddi, Australian football and cricket, highlighting expanding people-to-people and sporting exchanges between India and Australia.