It takes an entire nation to raise a champion and to organise SEA Games

WHEN the Malaysian government pitched to source for investment from the private sector ahead of the 2017 SEA Games, the then Youth and Sports Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, chose to improvise a famous saying to get his message across.

“It takes a village to raise a child and it takes an entire nation to raise a champion,” he was often quoted by the media.

It became a clarion call for Khairy and the Sports Ministry to turn KL2017 into a rousing success in terms of performance.

But emerging victorious at SEA Games level is not the raison’ d’etre behind the idea of hosting the Games.

In delivering his opening address at the opening ceremony of KL2017 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Khairy said the biennial Games was the best stage to share the past, present and future collective among the countries in the region.

As the chairperson of the Organising Committee named Masoc, Khairy said this was proven by the fact all 11 countries came together not only to take part in the Games but also celebrate the establishment of the Asean community.

“Through the Games we create excitement, we forge memories and we leave a legacy of friendship and sportsmanship.”

The theme for the 29th edition of the Games was Rising Together, from the first baton run that transversed the length and breadth of South-East Asia to all Malaysia’s major towns.

For Khairy, it was a success to unite the people in the country regardless of their backgrounds, to throw their support behind the nation’s heroes and heroines.

“When we applaud our athletes at the stadium or any other venues, our differences fade away, leaving us with only our similarities to forge a sincere union of hearts for our nation.”

Of course, this could not be quantified by numbers.

Still, Malaysia exerted their dominance at the venues, in what was the best outing at the Games to date by amassing a total of 145 gold medals.

Although KL2017 had its fair share of bloopers and blunders, such as the upside down Indonesian flag mishap, or the riot at the Shah Alam Stadium started by vexed fans and the poor result system that led to a manual solution, it was a success in terms of promoting the image of the country.

Almost 3,000 media personnel pitched their tent in Kuala Lumpur, with both print journalists and broadcasters being housed in a 35,000sq ft centre which provided 800 work stations.

The Games was beamed by RTM and Astro Arena in Malaysia, TVRI and STV in Indonesia, TPT in Thailand, VTV and HTV in Vietnam and Mediacorp in Singapore among others, reaching a potential 600 million fans around the region.Khairy sold the idea of an emotional link with the fans to the investors, by pointing out that the Singapore edition in 2015 raised a total sponsorship media value of RM412mil on linear TV, over the top streaming services such as YouTube, online, print and social media, higher than that of the Incheon Asian Games in 2014 and the AFF Cup in the same year.

The numbers from the 2015 Games were impressive enough, with 2,084 total hours of broadcast, a brand exposure that enjoyed almost 900,000 in terms of total venue attendance and 2,700 hours of brand duration on screen, as well as the promise of product exclusivity, licensed merchandising, on site activation and exclusive content, hospitality and on line activation.

With the help of their marketing agencies, Masoc, helmed by the late Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong, were able to attract a sponsorship line-up that included major Japanese brands including Ajinomoto, financial services firm Aeon and Sony, as well as Telekom Malaysia, Naza Group, FBT, Petronas and Rapid KL, along with Malaysia Airports, AirAsia, Grab and Tenaga Nasional to sponsor the Games.

Against this backdrop, Sarawak’s eagerness to host the biennial Games in 2027 must be maximised upon, with the opening ceremony and 18 sports slated to be held in Sarawak, while the remaining 18 sports in Kuala Lumpur.

Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Exco, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has been quoted as saying the Sarawak government was willing to invest a huge financial outlay to bring the SEA Games beyond Kuala Lumpur.

With Sarawak prepared to absorb some of the cost of organising SEA Games expected to balloon over RM700mil, the potential for Malaysia to recoup the investments through the economic benefits of staging an international event of regional interest remains huge.

As Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh prepares to engage with stakeholders on the feasibility of hosting the 2027 edition, the entire nation must be on the same page to make the SEA Games a success.