Sarawak wins global sports management conference

Sarawak has won hosting rights for the 2023 Asian Association for Sport Management Conference (AASM 2023) – the first time an East Malaysian destination will have hosted the conference. AASM 2023 will take place at Imperial Hotel Kuching, 19-20 August and will be a significant point for local, national and international sports stakeholders, sports students, academics and those employed by the industry to explore potential research collaborations, internship placements and data management opportunities. AASM 2023 in Sarawak will be the first in AASM’s conference history to welcome members of the Gulf Countries Sport Management Association; whose knowledge and experience in organising the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be insightful for delegates, especially for those organising sustainable, mega sporting events. The theme for AASM 2023 is The Asian Sport Industry and the Sustainability Agenda: Action and Education through Sport, which echoes the Sarawak Government’s efforts in prioritising its sustainability agendas and aligning the destination’s development path with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Sustainability is one of the three aspirational pillars of the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy, one of our objectives in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development is to develop a more balanced sports policy for youths and other categories of the sports communities,” said Sarawak’s minister of youth, sports and entrepreneur development, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. The minister added: “AASM 2023 can elevate that position to make Sarawak a regional sports powerhouse and a good contender in the global sports world”.