Special incentives to get companies to sponsor sports teams

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Companies sponsoring state teams will receive special incentives from the Johor Sports Council (MSNJ) in efforts to ensure an active development of sports in the state.

State Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage committee chairman Datuk Zulkurnain Kamisan said that the government, through MSNJ, will continue to actively attract more sponsors to help in the progress of all sports and not only football.

He said that sponsorship by private companies as well as government-linked companies could help boost the sports sector in Johor.

Zulkurnain added that although the MSNJ has been going all out to attract more funding, it was not an easy task as companies were reluctant to give support unless they received something in return.

This is why we are offering special incentives including tax exemptions, special VVIP passes for sporting events, an official handing over of sponsorship ceremony and incorporating the companies logo on the athletes jerseys, he said.

He said this in reply to a question posed by Ayub Jamil (Rengit-BN) during the fourth term of the state assembly sitting here on Tuesday.

He said the government allocates about RM12mil to MSNJ to manage, conduct and sponsor sporting events as well as for equipment for some 41 sports associations in the state.

“However, this amount is not sufficient and this is where sponsorships come into play to boost sports in Johor,” he added.

Zulkurnain noted that currently the state football team Johor Darul Takzim has the highest number of sponsorship from big companies such as Adidas, Forest City and Johor Corporation (JCorp).

Other sports that have received sponsorships from private companies and GLCs include badminton sponsored by Fleet, Rugby sponsored by Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor (KPRJ), sailing by JCorp and takraw by Gajahmas.

“There are several sponsorships in the planning stages such as KPRJ to extend sponsorship for cycling, Perbadanan Islam Johor Holding Bhd for archery, YPJ Holding Sdn Bhd for kayaking, Iskandar Regional Development Authority for olahraga and Petroleum Development Corporation for shooting,” he said.