Netball eyed for 2032 Brisbane Olympic debut

Netball is positioned to feature at the Olympic Games for the first time in history during the Brisbane 2032 Games, according to media reports. Australian Sports Minister Anika Wells has formally backed the inclusion of the sport while speaking to an audience at the Queensland Media Club in Brisbane. The potential addition would bring the sport onto the global Olympic stage after decades of being restricted primarily to competitions like the Commonwealth Games.

Wells said that netball represents a cornerstone of Australian sport and serves as the leading team discipline for women and girls across the country and the wider region. Drawing on her own background, she recalled playing with a Bluebirds netball bib at the MacGregor Netball Association in Brisbane, noting that Olympic participation was previously an impossible dream for players. She added that the inclusion would provide a massive milestone for the millions of participants who pull on their netball bibs each week.

The push for inclusion has received strong advocacy from prominent figures within the sporting community, including Australian Olympic Committee honorary life president John Coates and former national captain Liz Ellis. Organisers are expected to select between four and six additional sports to feature on the Brisbane program, with other disciplines such as lifesaving also reported to be under consideration by officials.

While the sport holds the number one ranking in the world following recent matches in the Constellation Cup against New Zealand, formal ratification is still required. The International Olympic Committee will meet in the Dominican Republic in April next year to hold the official vote on the final sports program for the Brisbane Games.