SEAG organizers short of sponsorship target
SEAG organizers short of sponsorship target
JAKARTA (JP): With only four months before the Southeast Asian
(SEA) Games kick off in Kuala Lumpur, the organizers are still 7
million ringgits (US$1.83 million) short of the targeted
sponsorship fund.
Bernama news agency reported on Thursday that the organizers
have raised a total of some 23 million ringgits in cash.
The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary Sieh Kok Chi
said that the Youth and Sports Ministry managed to raise 15.2
million ringgits from four SEA Games partners of state-owned
companies Petronas, Proton, Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Telekom
Malaysia.
Another 8 million ringgits had been raised by OCM through its
sponsorship deals with Coca-Cola, Nestle, Spritzer, Antioni and
Bata.
"We are still looking for sponsors to meet the shortfall of 6
to 7 million ringgits. For now, OCM is discussing with two or
three potential sponsors, including German camera film-maker
Agfa, following Konica's withdrawal," Sieh was quoted by Bernama
as saying.
"OCM, together with the Youth and Sports Ministry, is also
negotiating with Panasonic," he told reporters after the signing
of a memorandum of understanding between OCM and Spritzer as the
official mineral water supplier for the games.
Youth and Sports Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein had said
that the government was allocating 50 million ringgits for the
Sept. 8 to Sept. 17 Games and the bulk of sponsorships would be
used for medium and long-term sports development.
Sieh also expressed his disappointment with the SEA Games
marketing agent, Dentsu, for failing to secure any sponsorship in
Japan.
"They failed to get even one sponsor. It was a waste of
time...I think they asked for too much from prospective sponsors
in Japan," he said.
Japan-based Dentsu was the only agent appointed to seek
overseas sponsors for the games.
Spritzer Director Mohd Adhan Kechik said Spritzer would supply
600,000 bottles of mineral water worth 750,000 ringgits during
the sports championship, which will feature 32 sports and offer
391 gold medals. (yan)