Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday held a meeting with the Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green OAM, in Gandhinagar, during which both sides discussed cooperation in sports infrastructure, renewable energy, education, and skill development.

The chief minister expressed Gujarat’s readiness to leverage Australia’s experience in ensuring the long-term, sustainable use of Olympic infrastructure, housing, and sports facilities.

The meeting included detailed discussions on the measures Australia has undertaken to prepare infrastructure, housing, and other facilities in the context of the upcoming Olympic Games to be organised in Brisbane, Australia, in 2032.

He shared details of plans to utilise such infrastructure for general public housing, student hostels, and venues for other events after the completion of the Games.

High Commissioner Green invited a high-level delegation from Gujarat to visit Australia to study Olympic preparations in Brisbane. He conveyed Australia’s interest in partnering with Gujarat in advanced training, particularly in swimming, para-athletics, and high-performance sports centres. The chief minister appreciated the skills and training standards of Australian athletes and said collaborative efforts could help Gujarat’s sportspersons perform strongly at the 2036 Olympics.

The High Commissioner also briefed the chief minister on plans to create a dedicated ecosystem through a Centre of Excellence at Deakin University in GIFT City, focusing on sports science, sports research, and sports business. He invited the chief minister to attend Deakin University’s first convocation scheduled for March 2026. Chief Minister Patel noted that Australia’s participation as a partner country at Vibrant Gujarat Summits has benefited sectors such as gems and jewellery, textiles and apparel, life sciences, and pharmaceuticals.

As per the official statement, Green expressed appreciation for Gujarat’s rapid progress in the renewable energy sector and showed willingness to extend Australian expertise to support the state’s renewable energy transition. He also lauded the solar rooftop training facilities being developed at Pandit Deendayal Energy University, with a capacity to train 2,000 people, and noted the encouraging participation of women. Senior officials, including Chief Principal Secretary Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary Ajay Kumar, and IndexT-C MD Keyur Sampat, were present at the meeting. DeshGujarat