CHENNAI: Building on the Australia-India Roadmap for Sports Collaboration, which was announced earlier this year in July, the Australian Consulate-General, Chennai welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Basketball Australia and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), marking a significant step forward in sports cooperation between the two nations.
The MoU, which was signed on Friday, establishes a framework for collaboration in coach, player and referee development, high-performance sport, governance, sports integrity, and community engagement. Under the agreement, the two organisations will work together to create development pathways for athletes, coaches and officials, facilitate knowledge exchange, promote friendly competitions and exposure visits, and strengthen diaspora engagement.
Aadhav Arjuna, president of the BFI, and Matt Scriven, Chief Executive Officer of Basketball Australia, formalised the partnership on behalf of their respective organisations.
Matt Scriven said, "We are proud to announce this partnership with the Basketball Federation of India and to support basketball's rapid growth in one of the world's most exciting emerging basketball markets."
Aadhav Arjuna said, "Basketball has a unique power to unite societies, transcend cultures and bring communities together. This partnership between Basketball Australia and the Basketball Federation of India is more than an MOU; it is a shared commitment to strengthening India's basketball ecosystem, nurturing future generations and building a pathway towards making India a basketball powerhouse in Asia and, one day, on the world stage. May the dribble become the heartbeat of every aspiring Indian basketball player, and the dream of representing India a reality."
Witnessing the virtual MoU signing, Australian Consul-General in Chennai, Silai Zaki said, "Today's MoU reflects the growing momentum in the Australia-India sporting relationship. With the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, there has never been a better time for Australia and India to team up and build stronger sporting links."
The growing sports partnership between Australia and India will be on full display in Chennai this December.
On December 12, the opening match of the Men's Big Bash League (BBL) will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, marking the first time a regular-season BBL match is being played outside Australia.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Australia in July 2026, the two Prime Ministers had announced the Australia-India Roadmap for Sports Collaboration.
