LEADING INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS PRESENT ON SPORTS IN INDONESIA

 

 

JOHANN OLAV KOSS is one of the greatest winter athletes of all time, setting three world records en route to three gold medals at the 1994 Winter Olympics. A year before that triumph, Koss was part of a delegation from Olympic Aid that visited Africa, where he saw first-hand the plight of the local children. Since retiring from competitive speed skating  he is  President and CEO of Right To Play, an athlete-driven international humanitarian organisation that uses sport and play as a tool for the development of children and youth in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. Today Right To Play has projects in over 20 countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It uses specially designed sport and play programs to teach life skills, peace building and health education to children affected by war, poverty and disease.

 

"When talking to organisations we are met with a lot of enthusiasm. Many companies are looking for a new way to lend support and Right To Play gives them a different perspective on giving back to disadvantaged areas. Sport for Development is an innovative concept and many organisations are motivated by the idea that children can learn while having fun," Koss explained. "Recently Right To Play strengthened its ties with football partnering with Chelsea Football Club to become its first ever international charity of choice. Chelsea’s brand and global recognition are proof of the power of the game.".

 

 

 ADOLF OGI, a United Nations Under-Secretary and Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace to the UN Secretary-General, is a former President of the Swiss Confederation. The UN is involved in sports because the principals of respect for opponents and for rules, teamwork and fair play are consistent with the principles of the United Nations Charter. From indigenous to global events, people participate in sports as players, coaches or supporters of favourite athletes and teams. Sport contributes to economic and social development, improving health and personal growth in people of all ages, particularly those of young people. An increasing number of non-governmental organisations at the local, national and international levels are joining forces with United Nations offices and field operations to organise and promote development, health, human rights and peace through sporting events

Sport-related activities can generate employment and economic activity at many levels. “The mandate of the Special Adviser is oriented not only towards the world of sport, sports industries and governments, but also towards UN bodies,” David Winiger, the Special Assistant representing Mr Ogi, pointed out. “He consults with UN organisations in charge of development and peace-making, -keeping and enforcement, to see which activities and programs can benefit from a partnership with sports organisations,” he said.

 

 

CLARE KENNY TIPTON, fresh from managing Asia’s biggest and most complex sports tournament, the Asian Football Confederation’s Asian Cup 2007 which involved 16 teams playing 33 matches in eight stadiums in four countries, outlines the scope for development, the opportunities, challenges, realities and possible rewards for sports in Asia. The growth of Asian Football is her mission. The AFC's Assistant General Secretary, Director Marketing and Director of Media and Communications, she identifies key indicators that back AFC’s claim that the future of football "is Asia." The AFC is building a football platform for every standard, age group, gender and geographical region supported by a marketing strategy concentrating on the host market for broadcast and sponsorship  revenues. Its Vision Asia program has 15 current projects establishing sustainable, grassroots clubs and leagues. AFC's further commitment is to build equity in top regional competitions and to achieve global reach, to implement local strategy to expand the base and build new competitions and to develop human resources to guarantee future success.

 

."The Asia Cup came to spread the world of football to South East Asia. Although very passionate about European football, we want the fans and countries to get behind their teams. It's no surprise that the four games on the poster promoting the games are all European based players," she said. In Asia for eleven years, her past employment includes the Football Association in England, Coca Cola Sports Marketing and the World Sport Group.

 

 

DEZ CORKHILL, a television Producer and News Editor, is Director of Content for www.espnstar.com and ESPN Star Sport’s sometimes controversial The Top Corner presenter and commentator on Asian domestic football. ESPN STAR Sports, Asia’s number one sports broadcaster,  is a 50:50 joint venture between ESPN Inc. and STAR. It reaches over 200 million households through 13 channels and on-line services interact with millions of users providing them with in-depth sports news, results and competitions. This multilingual, online platform which is closely integrated with ESPN and STAR Sports on air networks, has established the sites as the number one on-line sports destination in their respective markets

 

While ESPN-STAR Sports delivers the world’s premier live sports and leading regional events to viewers 24 hours a day, Dez also has a passionate interest in the local game in Asia, at its grass-roots and elite levels. He rightly says, "the best of the action is right on your doorstep."

 

 

GEOFFREY GOLD is Director and CEO of Sports Dynamics Pty Ltd which represents sports products and brands in Asia and includes the research and consulting firm Football Dynamic Asia and the Asian Football Business Review. He is a commentator on Asian sport for international media and a  summary of his review of Indonesian football was published in the February edition of Globe Asia. The new document, The Five Secrets behind the success of the English Premier League in Asia and how competitors can adapt them will be presented at the Asian Forum on Sports Innovation.

 

 

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