ASC, Perkins: Brisbane 2032 a Springboard for National Sport Participation

Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Chief Executive Kieren Perkins has emphasised that the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the way Australians engage with sport.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Perkins reflected on how that event left a long-term legacy for elite sport but said the focus for Brisbane must go further, embedding sport into everyday community life.

“We all get so inspired and proud when we see our athletes competing at a major event like the Olympics,” 

“The reality is it’s two weeks, and after it’s over, we really need to ask ourselves what is it that we want to see in the sports system?” Perkins said.

Perkins outlined the ASC’s goal to ensure Brisbane 2032 serves as a catalyst for wider participation, not just high-performance outcomes.

“We want to make sure everybody – whether a volunteer, coach, administrator, or someone in the community who just wants to play – is inspired by seeing our athletes compete in Brisbane,” he said.

The comments align with growing discussion about how the 2032 Games should deliver legacy benefits beyond infrastructure and tourism. For the ASC, that includes ensuring safe, accessible, and engaging sporting environments that encourage sustained community participation.

With governments at all levels investing heavily in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032, the ASC’s position signals a strong push to leverage the Games as a driver of systemic reform, balancing elite success with grassroots development. Perkins described the event as a potential “springboard” to create lasting cultural change in how Australians view and participate in sport.

As a dual Olympic gold medallist who ended his career at the Sydney Games, Perkins’ comments carry both personal and institutional weight as the ASC navigates how to turn the promise of Brisbane 2032 into long-term national outcomes.

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