Australian Sports Commission logoAustralian Institute of Sport logo
Sports Directory
sports contacts		 Calendar of Events
sports events, conferences		 NSO Online
information for NSOs


You are here: Home >> About ASC >> Media & Public Relations >> Media releases

20 January 2005

Closer sporting ties between Australia and China

Sporting ties between Australia and China have been boosted by the signing in Sydney today of an agreement between Australia’s peak sports administrative body, the Australian Sports Commission, and its Chinese equivalent, the State General Administration of Sport.

The agreement paves the way for increased cooperation between Australian and Chinese sporting organisations, coaches, athletes and administrators in the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and beyond.

Key points of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) are:

  • Greater cooperation and communication on international sports issues;
  • Facilitation by both peak bodies of greater direct links between national sporting organisations in Australia and China;
  • Encouragement of more cooperation and exchange between researchers in the fields of sport education, science, research and medicine;
  • A joint commitment to working against doping and violence in sport, including a closer working relationship between the respective anti-doping bodies in both countries;
  • Support for cooperation on training of sports administrators, coaches and athletes.

The MoU was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Sports Commission, Mr Mark Peters and, Mr Yu Zaiqing Vice Minister of the State General Administration of Sport and Vice President of China’s Olympic Committee, who is in Australia leading a Chinese Delegation to the Youth Olympics.

Mr Peters said the 2008 Beijing Olympics would further enhance China ’s reputation as an emerging sporting superpower.

‘Australia is well known as a world leader in sporting innovation, whether it be in coaching, training, administration or sports science and medicine,’ Mr Peters said.

‘Thankfully we are also acknowledged for the generosity of our cooperation and assistance given to other sporting countries.

‘Australia has also benefited greatly from the skills and knowledge of personnel we have acquired from other countries including the remarkable advances we have learned from Chinese coaches, particularly in the sports of diving and gymnastics.’

Mr Peters said sport was experiencing rapid growth in China and other Asian countries with populations much larger than Australia.

He said it made good sense to put in place a structured and coordinated cooperation agreement between the peak sporting bodies as outlined in the MoU.

‘The Commission will be working with the National Sporting Organisations, Australian Sports Drug Agency and the Australian Olympic Committee to ensure Australian athletes and coaches benefit from such an opportunity,’ Mr Peters said.

Contact:

Peter Logue, (02) 6214 1204 or 0402 067 614


Australian Sports Commission, Leverrier Cres, Bruce ACT 2617 PO Box 176, Belconnen ACT 2616 Telephone: +61 02 6214 1111 Facsimile: +61 02 6251 2680
About this site Site Accessibility Feedback Jobs Disclaimer Privacy Statement Copyright ASC Sitemap


The National Sport Information Centre Web Archive provides access to archive copies of materials in electronic forms. There is no inference that these materials necessarily reflect the current policy of any of the institutions or agencies that created them.