Sarawak has won hosting rights for the 2023 Asian Association for Sport Management Conference.
Sarawak has won hosting rights for the 2023 Asian Association for
Sport Management Conference (AASM 2023), becoming the first East
Malaysian destination and the third in Malaysia to host the conference.
AASM 2023 is organised and hosted by the Asian Association for Sport
Management (AASM), Curtin University Miri and Sport Management &
Administration Association Malaysia (SMAS), with SMAS as the local host
and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak
(MYSED) as the destination host. The conference will take place at
Imperial Hotel Kuching from 19-20 August.
Members of the Gulf Countries Sport Management Association will be
attending AASM 2023 to share their knowledge and experience in
organising sustainable, mega sporting events such as the recent 2022
FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Sustainability is key for AASM 2023, whose theme – The Asian Sport
Industry and the Sustainability Agenda: Action and Education through
Sport – aligns with the Sarawak government’s efforts in prioritising the
destination’s development path with the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs).
“Sustainability is one of the three aspirational pillars of the post
Covid-19 Development Strategy, one of our objectives in the Ministry of
Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development is to develop a more balanced
sports policy for youths and other categories of the sports
communities,” said Sarawak’s Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur
Development, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Not only does a sustainability-driven approach towards sports
development benefit the sports industry and communities in the long run,
the minister also believes that AASM 2023 can elevate Sarawak's
position as "a regional sports powerhouse and a good contender in the
global sports world”.
Dr Wirdati Mohd Radzi, the advisor to AASM and Sport Management &
Administration Association Malaysia, added, “We are making a conscious
effort to elevate Malaysia as the regional sport management hub for
ASEAN and Asia by showcasing Sarawak – and Malaysia – as a major sports
management and sports conference hub for future international events."
Amelia Roziman, BESarawak’s CEO believes that AASM 2023 will leave a
positive legacy beyond the event in Sarawak's ambition to become a
sports powerhouse for Asia and the world. "Not only will the sports
sector grow because of the conference, but we truly believe that Sarawak
can achieve the position of being a powerhouse through the
opportunities available in AASM 2023,” she said.
In
addition to AASM 2023, Sarawak was recently chosen to host the 2024
Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA) Games which is expected to attract 500 delegates
for the conference.