Govt and private sector tie-ups keep local sports scene vibrant, says Chan

THE Government and the private sector need to work hand-in-glove, in order for the sports industry to ride the challenges of a volatile economy, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing said yesterday.

Long-term strategies are needed to keep the sports scene vibrant - like the public and private partnership that has characterised projects like the upcoming $1.33 billion Sports Hub at Kallang.

'If everything is dependent on the government, then any funding or support will always be subject to the vagaries of the political atmosphere, and competing demands like health care and social services,' he said.

'If the government and private sector come together, they will complement each other and build the confidence to invest in the long term, in the midst of the intensifying economic cycles.'

The Sports Hub is a prime example. Under the terms of the partnership, the private sector designs, finances, builds and manages the project. The Government will not pay anything upfront, and will instead make an annual payment to the consortium over 25 years.

Mr Chan noted that the Government takes a long-term view when it invests in sports - a strategy that the private sector may not be able to emulate due to shorter-term pressures on their bottom line.

By marrying both parties, a continuous line-up of sporting events can be ensured. It will also help avoid a situation whereby the country's calendar is packed with sports activities in good times, and devoid of events when the economy is frail.

Said Mr Chan: 'A feast and famine strategy will be bad for sports - just as it is bad for anything that requires a long-term perspective, from defence to education.'

This year alone, events like the Mission Foods World Netball Championship and the Formula One SingTel Singapore Grand Prix have been held here. Table tennis' Volkswagen Women's World Cup will also be staged in Singapore next month, adding more stardust to a local calendar that included marquee events like the first Youth Olympic Games last year.

'From the experience of F1 and netball, we have seen sports as a lifestyle choice that combines entertainment and sports,' he added. 'This is an exciting way for us to take a re-look at sports and to take sports to a higher plane - not just elite sports, but mass participation events that can unite and ignite the country.'

Mr Chan was speaking to delegates at the Asia-Pacific Sports Conference in Singapore, a two-day event that has attracted 125 participants from 12 countries.

Many of them, like Priscilla Ho, managing director of the China-based agency Prescient Sports and Entertainment, see public-private partnerships as the way forward.

'There are plenty of opportunities at the grassroots, amateur and friendly games level which the government and companies can tap on where the biggest fan base exists,' she said.

'When there's a decline in the economy, companies will be looking at more creative ways to maximise their budget, and this is the perfect opportunity for sports to come into play to offer its diversity in consumer marketing.'

By Terrence Voon
The Straits Times, Wednesday, September 28 2011