Sport Inclusion Australia is set to bolster cooperation between Australia and India by launching a new international capacity and leadership exchange backed by the Australian Government's Centre for Australia-India Relations Maitri Grant Program.

The Included Through Sport India - Capacity and Leadership Exchange Project is a three-year effort that will unite Australian and Indian leaders, coaches, sporting organisations, psychologists, educators and government representatives to improve inclusive sport systems for people with an intellectual impairment. Across four cities - Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mumbai and Gujarat - the initiative will feature workshops and leadership forums centred on:

Inclusive coaching for athletes with an intellectual impairment

Athlete eligibility and classification pathways

Inclusive leadership and organisational capacity

Australia-India partnership development through the Inclusion Matters seminar series

Sport diplomacy and international collaboration through a dedicated roundtable with government and diplomatic representatives.

Robust sporting systems depend on skilled individuals. When coaches, leaders and sporting organisations receive better support and connections, athletes with an intellectual impairment gain more chances to access safe sport, advance through pathways and aim for high-performance settings.

As Australia readies for Brisbane 2032 and India expands its role in international sport as host for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, the project will enable both nations to exchange expertise, build relationships and learn from each other to boost access to inclusive sport.

Sport Inclusion Australia CEO Chantel Lewis noted that the project highlights the ability of sport to foster relationships beyond the field of play.

"Sport builds links that transcend cultures, languages and borders. By supporting those who deliver sport - our coaches, leaders, educators and organisations - we develop stronger systems that offer more opportunities for athletes with an intellectual impairment," Ms Lewis said.

"It fosters connections in ways few other activities can, aiding people in forming relationships, trust and understanding via shared experiences."

The project will be directed by Sport Inclusion Australia's International Engagement Advisor, Robyn Smith OAM, who has decades of experience in sport across Australia and internationally.

"Australia and India maintain a solid bond through sport, and there is great worth in collaborating as both nations continue to develop their sporting systems and global engagement," Ms Smith said.

"With Brisbane 2032 approaching and India growing its influence in world sport, initiatives like this reinforce the people, partnerships and pathways that underpin the future of inclusive sport in both countries."

A three-year delivery model supplies the duration required to progress past awareness and achieve real change. It is structured to build capability gradually, enabling relationships to form, knowledge to be grasped and applied, confidence to increase and organisations to implement new methods with continued assistance.

This ongoing method will help establish more inclusive practices that last well after the project concludes. The team will conduct the initial workshops for the project in August 2026.

Sport Inclusion Australia acknowledges the Centre for Australia-India Relations for its support through the Maitri Grant Program and for advancing friendship, understanding and collaboration between Australia and India.