Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya today chaired a high-level meeting with a sports delegation from New Zealand in New Delhi to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in sports. The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between the sporting ecosystems of India and New Zealand.
This year will mark 100 years of sporting ties between the two countries, tracing back to the historic 1926 Indian Army hockey tour to New Zealand. The Indian delegation included Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao and senior officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Olympic Association.
The New Zealand delegation was led by Associate Minister for Sport and Recreation Chris Bishop and included New Zealand High Commissioner to India Patrick John Rata and former international cricketer Ross Taylor. During the meeting, both sides discussed launching the India-New Zealand Centenary Sports Cooperation Programme 2026. They also explored joint training camps, coaching exchanges and knowledge sharing in sports science and athlete performance systems.
The two countries agreed to constitute a Joint Working Group to oversee the implementation of the cooperation framework and to strengthen long-term sports collaboration.
