The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) on Wednesday formalised a new cooperation framework aimed at expanding bilateral ties in athlete development, coaching and sports science. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in New Delhi by IOA President PT Usha and CONI chief Luciano Buonfiglio in the presence of Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani and India’s Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. According to the IOA, the agreement creates a structured platform for the joint promotion of sports, knowledge exchange and reciprocal access to high-performance centres in both countries. Athletes, coaches and sports science professionals from India and Italy will be able to utilise elite training environments and participate in shared development programmes. PT Usha said the partnership marks an important step in India’s efforts to enhance international collaboration in sport. She noted that expanded access to technical expertise and advanced training systems would support India’s long-term performance goals. Mandaviya described the MoU as timely, emphasising that collaborations with established sporting systems could bolster preparations for upcoming Olympic cycles. He added …