BRICS sports ministers adopt joint declaration in Visakhapatnam meeting

VISAKHAPATNAM: The BRICS Sports ministers adopted the Sports Joint Declaration in their meeting held here, with the reaffirming the commitment of the member states to “strengthen cooperation in sport through dialogue, mutual respect and inclusiveness”.

The meeting was held under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026 and was attended by ministers and senior sports representatives from the BRICS Member States to discuss cooperation priorities and sports development, a release said on Sunday.

The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya in his opening statement called for building a BRICS Sporting Partnership.

“We should build a BRICS Sporting Partnership that moves beyond declarations and creates real platforms for sports collaborations, whether it is athlete and coach exchanges, joint competitions or sports science knowledge sharing,” he said, adding that India is transforming its sporting ecosystem.

“We invite global manufacturers, technology companies and investors to Make in India, Play in India and Grow with India,” Mandaviya added.

The sports minister also underlined India’s commitment to making sports more inclusive through para-sport promotion actives ands new pathways for having more women participating.

There were three key initiatives advanced to deepen co-operation in sports, which includes BRICS Working Group on Sports Technology, BRICS Sports Manufacturing Conclave, and BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games 2026.

Udaipur received support to be the host city of the inaugural edition of the BRICS Sports Manufacturing Conclave.

“The conclave will focus on exchange of best practices, technology and innovation, quality standards, intra-BRICS trade and resilient supply chains, while bringing together manufacturers, exporters, investors, technology providers, SMEs, start-ups and research institutions,” the release said.

The BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games 2026 were proposed to be hosted in Ahmedabad on October 12-13.

“Conceived as a non-competitive and culturally focused initiative, the Games will promote cultural exchange, people-to-people ties and mutual understanding,” the release said.

The participants also ioined the BRICS Friendship Cycling Event, organised as part of the 87th edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle here.