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Khairy: RM8mil to be forked out for Sukma due to lack of sponsorship

<b>Financial support:</b> Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin (sixth from left) posing with the sponsors for the Kuala Lumpur Sukma at his ministry in Putrajaya Wednesday. ā€” MOHD SAHAR MISNI/The Star Financial support: Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin (sixth from left) posing with the sponsors for the Kuala Lumpur Sukma at his ministry in Putrajaya Wednesday. ā€” MOHD SAHAR MISNI/The Star
 
PUTRAJAYA: It will cost RM9mil to organise the 16th edition of the Kuala Lumpur Sukma (Malaysia Games) from June 28-July 7 ā€“ and the Government will fork out RM8mil.
Thatā€™s because only RM1mil was raised in sponsorships from the private sector.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that while the private sector would sponsor sporting events in other countries, in Malaysia ā€œthe government has to fork out 90% of the cost for Sukmaā€.

ā€œThere just arenā€™t enough private sponsors to organise sports in Malaysia. The money the government allocates for sports can be used for developments in other areas,ā€ Khairy said after receiving mock cheques from private firms at his Ministry in Putrajaya yesterday.

Khairy said that the government was facing challenges in getting the private sector to sponsor sports events.
ā€œThe government needs to boost the sports industry to get more involvement from the private sector,ā€ he said.

Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk M. Saravanan, Youth and Sports Ministry chief secretary Datuk Jamil Salleh and National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Zolkples Embong were also present at the Sukma sponsorship ceremony.

A total of 3,618 athletes from 14 states will compete in 20 different sports in Sukma, which Khairy described as an ā€œimportant platform for young athletes to excelā€.
ā€œItā€™s also the premier competition for athletes below the age of 21,ā€ he said.

Khairy also voiced his support for the Olympic Council of Malaysiaā€™s (OCM) interest in hosting the 2017 SEA Games.

ā€œItā€™s a rotation process as every country takes turn to host the Games. I need the OCMā€™s help to submit a memorandum to the Cabinet on the costing and other details of the Games,ā€ he said.
ā€œWe have to decide before the end of this year whether we want to host the Games.ā€
Malaysia last hosted the SEA Games in 2001,when they became overall champions.



By AFTAR SINGH - THE STAR

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