Australian Sport Embracing Modi Tests True Inclusion 2026

Australian sport's embrace of Narendra Modi has sparked a painful reckoning for many fans who cherish both their identity and their love of the game. For most of my life, being Indian, Muslim, Australian, and devoted to sport has never felt like a contradiction. Until now. When I saw AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon and Australian cricket legend Steve Waugh smiling alongside Indian prime minister Narendra Modi last week, I wasn’t simply watching a diplomatic engagement. I was watching two institutions I love celebrate a leader whose name carries deep pain for many people like me.

The Complex Intersection of Sport and Politics

Sport has always been intertwined with politics, but the recent Australian sport Modi partnership raises uncomfortable questions about whose identities are truly welcomed. Cricket Australia used Modi’s visit to announce the Big Bash League’s first match in India as part of a broader trade and cultural delegation, while the AFL showcased its own ambitions to grow the game across India. Both organisations see India and the Indian diaspora as central to their future.

Modi is the democratically elected leader of the world’s largest democracy and one of Australia’s most important strategic partners. That is true. But for many Indian Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians, Modi’s name represents a decade of growing fear. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly criticised his Hindu nationalist government over discrimination against religious minorities, crackdowns on dissent, pressure on journalists, and the erosion of democratic freedoms.

Inclusion as Strategy, Not Value

The inclusion in Australian sport that once felt genuine now appears conditional. When I saw those smiling faces, I wondered whether these organisations wanted my identity on paper – but not what came with it. Some of my family hoped I wouldn’t write this. They fear the backlash that comes with publicly criticising the Modi government. That isn’t hypothetical. It’s our reality.

Australia has also publicly dealt with allegations of Indian government interference on its own soil. Both realities exist. That is exactly why this moment in sport mattered. Not because sport should refuse to engage with governments. International relationships are complex, and sport has always intersected with politics. Cricket Australia’s relationship with India is significant. What troubled me was whether anyone had considered what this embrace means for the very communities they claim to include.

Key Takeaways

• Australian sport leaders celebrated Narendra Modi without acknowledging human rights concerns affecting Indian minorities.
• The Indian diaspora in Australia is diverse, including many who fear Modi’s policies.
• Inclusion in sport must be more than a marketing strategy; it requires genuine respect for all identities.
• Sporting organisations should engage diplomatically while standing by their stated values of diversity.

Comparison of Cricket Australia and AFL Engagement with India

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