CMY represented at the 2026 National Sports & Physical Activity Convention
On 1 and 2 July, three staff members, CMSport Relationship Lead Junior Melo, Culture Spring Project Officer Ikram Mahamed, and CMSport Youth Facilitator Ridmi Dolamulla represented CMY at the 2026 National Sports & Physical Activity Convention. The annual convention was hosted at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre for two days of discussion on the theme: “The Next Generation.”
Ikram spoke on the event’s opening keynote panel discussion “Setting the Scene: Who are the Next Generation?” She shared her own lived experience and her work through Culture Spring to platform youth participation and leadership in sport.
One of the key themes emerging from the convention was the release of the National Sports Convention’s new white paper “Designing Sport, Recreation and Community Places for Young People Aged 12–25.” The paper explores five key areas:
- Work and leadership
- Participation
- Places and spaces
- Technology
- Communication
“The shift I want to see is this: Stop asking how we get young people into our programs and start asking what’s already happening in community, and how do we back it.”
Junior Melo (CMSport) chaired the session, “The Next Generation of Governing and Managing Sport”, featuring presentations from Mark Rigotti (Managing Director & CEO, Australian Institute of Company Directors) and Matti Clements (AIS Director, Australian Sports Commission), followed by a panel discussion with Ridmi Dolamulla, Alex Anasson, CEO of Skate Australia and Dr. Renae Domaschenz PLY the Chair of Disability Sports Australia.
“Leadership isn’t just about today’s decisions, it’s about ensuring multicultural communities are represented where decisions are made and helping shape the future of sport,” Junior said.