‘Masterchef, yoga and cricket’: PM Modi on India-Australia bonding at Sydney event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the Indian diaspora in Sydney and said “Masterchef and cricket” unite the bond between India and Australia. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his Indian counterpart Modi gets a “rock star reception” wherever he goes, as he welcomed his “dear friend” at the event and compared him to American singer Bruce Springsteen.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Australian PM Anthony Albanese during an Indian community event, in Sydney on Tuesday.(ANI)

Albanese pitched for greater cooperation between India and Australia as he welcomed Modi to a roaring 21,000-strong crowd at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, one of the city’s biggest indoor stadiums. He also lauded the Indian diaspora for their contribution to the ties between the two countries.

“Cricket is something which has kept us connected for ages…and now tennis and movies form other connecting bridges… Our lifestyles may be different but now Yoga also connects us. We have been connected due to cricket for a long time. But now, tennis and films are also connecting us. We might prepare food in different manners but Masterchef is connecting us now,” Modi said amid thundering applause from the audience.

Albanese gave Modi a bear hug when the Indian prime minister arrived at the venue to address the audience before introducing him as someone who “gets a rock star reception wherever he goes”.

“The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss,” Albanese said at the event.

He thanked his “dear friend” Modi for “bringing the spirit of the world’s biggest democracy to Australia”, saying he had helped “make our democracy stronger and more inclusive.”

Modi’s trip to Australia comes after he met with Albanese, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima on the weekend.

(With inputs from agencies)

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