BFI, Basketball Australia sign three-year pact to strengthen basketball development

Hyderabad: The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) on Friday signed a historic, first-of-its-kind Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Basketball Australia, marking a significant milestone in the development of Indian basketball and opening a new chapter in sporting cooperation between India and Australia.

The three-year partnership establishes a framework for collaboration between the two national basketball federations, with a shared focus on technical development, international exposure, capacity building and strengthening the overall basketball ecosystem.

Under the MoU, the two organisations will collaborate in several key areas, including conducting specialised coaching and referee clinics, organising training programmes and professional development initiatives, promoting player development and international exposure, organising friendly matches, exchange programmes and international exposure tours, particularly for junior players, facilitating knowledge-sharing in sports science, high-performance sport and modern training methodologies, sharing expertise and best practices in sports governance and institutional development, promoting sports integrity, athlete welfare and safeguarding standards, and strengthening basketball participation and engagement through community initiatives and the Indian diaspora.

The MoU was signed virtually by Aadhav Arjuna, President of the Basketball Federation of India, on behalf of BFI. Basketball Australia was represented by Matt Scriven, CEO, and Tristan Russell, General Manager – Government and International Relations.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Silai Zaki, Australian Consul-General in Chennai, and Kulvinder Singh Gill, Secretary General of the Basketball Federation of India.