India signs agreement with Australia for sports training in State

BHUBANESWAR: Two leading institutions, the Sports Development and Education Australia (SEDA) of Australia invited by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Centurion University of Technology and Management of India, signed an International Cooperation Agreement on Thursday here to give a new dimension to sports training in the State.   

As part of the agreement, Centurion University would establish a Sports Skills Training Centre in the State, which will be the first in India to use a wide range of sports, fitness, wellness and lifestyle courses that focus on applied learning and vocational skills. It would allow students from disadvantaged communities to access international standard vocational training in sports education and management.

The project has been funded by a grant from the Australian Sports Commission to support vocational education and training in India. SEDA will provide consulting services through the delivery of structured education and training in sports and sports services to Centurion University. The project will also deliver sport and recreation curriculum at the University and across India through schools, colleges and other institutions.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Australia’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner for South Asia Nicola Watkinson and SEDA founder Brad Green and Centurion University co-founder Prof Mukti Mishra.   

Watkinson said the agreement was a powerful example of how Australian expertise in training and management could play a big role in the booming Indian sports market.

Prof Mishra said they would introduce professional courses on sports like certificate, diploma, advance diploma and degree for the engineering and management students of their university to give them alternative employment.    

Among others, Indian Coordinator for the Australian Sports Commission's Outreach Program Rekha Dey, State Head Odisha State Office of CII Suparna Nanda, former chairman CII JB Pany and RSB Global director (Tehnology) Dr Omkar Nath Mohanty were present.