Talented young sports players and coaches in India have joined with some of Australia’s top sporting teams to develop their skills and support community development initiatives, as part of a series of sports clinics held in the region in recent months.

Players from the Australian under-21 women’s hockey team, the Jillaroos, hosted a hockey clinic for under-privileged girls at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi during November.

The team took time out of their busy training and playing schedule to attend the clinic with 12 girls chosen from different socio-cultural backgrounds and communities in the region.

Jillaroos captain Karri McMahon said it was fantastic to share her skills with the girls.

‘There are a lot of talented young players here,’ McMahon said.

The clinic involved skills development and a hockey game between the Australian and local girls and was coordinated by Hockey Australia and Australian Sports Outreach Program (ASOP) partner, the Magic Bus India Foundation.

The sports clinic forms part of the non-government foundation’s work with under-privileged children, and teaches them the importance of outdoor sports, gender equality and basic hygiene.

Magic Bus India Foundation General Manager of Operations, Arish Syed, said their focus is sport for development outcomes.

‘We have some key domain areas like education, health, gender, and we use sport because it brings everybody to an equal ground,’ said Syed.

Netball Australia also held a clinic in New Delhi recently with another ASOP partner, the Naz Foundation, a non-government organisation that focuses on and raising awareness of HIV/AIDS.

The clinic was held with 12 graduates of the Naz Foundation’s Goal Community Sport Coaching program and was facilitated by Netball Australia’s Carol Byers, Coach Development and Participation Manager, and Stacey O’Neill, Participation Manager.

Byers said that it was a great capacity-building program and Netball Australia was thrilled to be involved.

‘Despite some language barriers, we were able to communicate some simple skills that will enhance the participant’s ability to coach other netballers. The girls were all very enthusiastic and keen to learn, and it was a great learning experience for us too.’

Football Federation Australia (FFA) also ran a junior football coaching clinic recently for ASOP partner Goa Football Association to support their Grassroots Youth Development Training Program.

The clinic was run by FFA National Community Coach Education Manager Norm Boardman and involved formal education of young coaches.

Boardman said they trained over 20 coaches, putting them through a Junior License Course, and mentoring new coaches who are now accredited to conduct Junior License courses in their villages and towns.

‘It is hoped that through this process more coaches will receive some formal education.’

ASOP is an Australian Government initiative funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and delivered by the Australian Sports Commission. ASOP in India aims to contribute to building the capacity of organisations in India to use quality sport activities as a tool that contributes to improving livelihoods.