KUCHING: Sarawak is working towards collaborating with FC Barcelona on sports development, says Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The state Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister said Sarawak hoped to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the renowned football club soon.
"We are working on it, and I do hope that it will end with some kind of collaboration between Barcelona and Sarawak," he told reporters after receiving a courtesy call from National Youth and Sports Department director-general Azura Abidin here on Friday (Jan 30).
Abdul Karim said FC Barcelona expressed interest in working with Sarawak when he met the club's management during an official visit to Barcelona last year.
He said any potential collaboration would go beyond football, as Catalonia - the Spanish state where Barcelona is located - had an integrated sports ecosystem.
"It will be about the development of sport, and we like the idea. Coaches, young footballers and young athletes could be sent there or come here from there.
"This is being formulated into the MO,U and I hope to see it materialise," he said.
On the courtesy call, Abdul Karim said it involved preliminary discussions on Kuching's selection as a port of call for the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth (SSEAYP) programme next year.
He said this was the first time the ship would visit Kuching, as the programme enters its 50th edition next year.
"This programme is initiated by the Japanese government to foster close ties among the youths involved and promote awareness about the countries they visit.
"It's a good programme, not just for the incoming youths but also for our youths to interact with their counterparts from Southeast Asia and Japan," he said.
Azura said 211 youths aged 18 to 30 years from 10 Asean nations, including Malaysia, were expected to take part in next year's programme.
She said the participants would gain new experiences about Sarawak's rich culture during their visit to Kuching.
"We want to give opportunities to various states in Malaysia to host this programme, and we feel that Kuching is a unique destination," she added.
