NSC plan to revive Sports Partnership programme

NSC plan to revive Sports Partnership programme
By S. RAMAGURU

Cycling:

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Sports Council (NSC) are considering embarking on a second round of the “Sports Partnership” programme.
The first programme, launched in 1994, attracted 28 sponsors to partner with the various sports associations for development purposes.

NSC director general Datuk Zolkples Embong said yesterday that the partnership programme allowed the private sector to join hands with the sports associations in a win-win situation.
“It was effective but soon after the Jaya 98 programme ended, the partnership scheme also ended although there are a few companies still sponsoring sports associations.(The Jaya 98 programme was initiated to bring success in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games.)

“The programme in the 90s bore fruit as the government gave their full backing and provided vital support,” he said.
Zolkples said they have been working on the idea (of reviving the programme) for some time and hope to get it moving by next year.
“We are preparing a paper on the matter to be submitted to the Cabinet Committee for Sports. We have to take into account the current situation and see how the new programme can be operated.

“I will brief the Cabinet Committee on the details at our next meeting and hopefully it will get the nod,” he added.
Under the programme, the NSC helped to identify the sponsors for the various sports and ensured that the funding targets were met.

The NSC are currently working on the 2012 programme targeted towards the London Olympics. The programme €” Road to London €” was launched last month.
Before the London Olympics, there will be the Guangzhou Asian Games and the New Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010.

“It will be timely to tie up the sports associations with specific sponsors so that they can work together with specific targets in mind. For now, we are still working on the details,” he said.