Launching 'A Retiree’s Odyssey - from the MCG to the SCG', by Prabodh Malhotra and Anand Kulkarni
The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities, and Treasury
Assistant Minister for Employment
Bradman Pavilion, Manuka Oval,
Canberra
8 May 2025
I acknowledge the Ngunnawal people on whose lands we meet on today.
I want to acknowledge too at the outset, the terrorist attacks that have taken place recently in India, and offer my condolences and those of the Australian Government.
We have a range of VIPs here today, His Excellency the Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, Chennupati Jagdish, Sam Murthi, Arun Venkatesha OAM, Adrienne Francis – our wonderful MC, and representatives from the McGrath Foundation.
Then of course, we have the authors Dr Prabodh Malhotra and Dr Anand Kulkarni on ‘A Retiree’s Odyssey - from the MCG to Manuka Oval’ – whoops - from the MCG to the SCG, although he did come via Manuka Oval the first time.
This is a book which tells the story of an extraordinary bloke. You get the story of Prabodh growing up in Punjab in a family of eight children, from a father who ran a grocery store and was also, we find out, a politician.
We read in the book, stories of generosity on Indian busses and local community. Stories that very much reminded me of my experiences of the generosity of everyday people when I backpacked for a month in India in the year 2000 - an experience that I'm really looking forward to sharing with my children when we visit India in December. It will be their first visit to India, and I’m really looking forward to introducing them to the grace and the decency of Indian hospitality.
We hear in this fabulous book, the story of Prabodh initially missing Australia by just a two of letters, ending up in Austria. His time there working as a motor mechanic, the story of how he ultimately made his way to Australia. In the book, you get the answer to those questions: Why the walks? Why at age 71? And why the McGrath Foundation?
We hear about Prabodh’s sister - a survivor of breast cancer, and the decision to put one foot in front of the other and make his way from the MCG to the SCG as a cricket tragic. And not only to do it once over the summer of 2022-23, but then to come back again to do it again and again. We hear that the training that you need to do in order to walk about 1,100 kilometres, about the diet that fuelled his journey. About the necessity of getting Council permits, something that I promise I will take up if I find myself at the local Council level. About the challenge of dealing with blisters along the way - something that I can certainly empathise with as an ultramarathon runner.
And again, the other challenges that hit you along the way -- the flies, the kangaroos, the many snakes -- but most importantly you hear the stories of generosity. Those who helped out, providing a place for a shower or a sleep. The generous locals who made donations to the McGrath Foundation along the way. The indications of the impact that breast cancer has had, such as the bra fence near Deniliquin.
But ultimately, this is a book about love.
The Greeks talked about the various kinds of love. Eros is passionate, romantic love – the spark of desire that draws people into intimacy and connection. Storgē is the quiet, dependable love of family – the bond between parents and children, or among lifelong companions. Philía is the deep love of friendship – grounded in trust, shared values, and mutual respect. And then they talked about agápē – selfless, unconditional love – the kind that gives freely, expecting nothing in return. Agápē is a love for the unlovable, a love for people you've only just met.
And it's that agápē kind of love that you see epitomised in this walk. A man's desire to give back to an adopted country, to give to a cause which will likely never affect him, to bring people together, to remind those that a life of service to others is a life well lived.
And I’m reminded that agápē isn't about suffering and being downtrodden, but in fact, it’s so wonderfully joyous -- as we saw that terrific video filmed at the SCG as Prabodh arrived.
So, Prabodh, I want to thank you for inspiring each of us to bring a little bit more love into our lives, a little more kindness, a little more compassion. You have done a lot in terms of making those steps and raising that money. But you have done so much more with the hearts you have inspired, and there's so many who will follow, probably not literally, but figuratively in your footsteps.
ENDS