OCM Weekly Highlights - 15th March 2009

OCM Weekly Highlights

15th March 2009

OCM Official Website: www.olympic.org.my

Coming Events

IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia 2009 – 13th to 22nd March 2009 at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Launch of Centre of Excellence for Badminton – 19th March 2009 at 2.30 p.m. at Kompleks Rakan Muda Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, by TAB hg. Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor.
4th National Handball League 2009 – first round on 22nd March 2009 from 9.00 a.m. at OCM Indoor Sports Arena, Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur.
National Sports Award for 2008 – 23rd March 2009 at 8.00 p.m. at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.

Corporate Cup Individual Carom Championship 2009 – 4th and 5th April 2009, from 9.00 a.m. each day, at 2nd Floor, OCM Indoor Sports Complex, Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur.

152nd OCM Council Meeting - 25th April 2009 at 10.00 a.m. at the Conference Room, Ground Floor, Wisma OCM, Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur.

28th OCM Annual General Assembly 2009 – 30th May 2009 at 2.00 p.m. at OCM Indoor Sports Arena, Wisma OCM, Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur.

9th Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup 2009 – 7th to 21st June 2009, Johor Bahru and Singapore.

News Items

Congratulations

Members of the Olympic Council of Malaysia and the Executive Board wish to congratulate His Royal Highness Tunku Imran, who will be presented with an Honorary Doctorate from the United States Sports Academy at 10 a.m. Saturday, 21 March 2009 in Daphne, with coincides with the 61st birthday of His Royal Highness, the President of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and IOC Member.

His Royal Highness Tunku Imran, has been active in the international sport community and Olympic movement for more than three decades. In the 33 years since Imran played on the Malaysian national squash team (1973-1976) and was Malaysia’s national Squash Champion in 1973. He has served the international sport community and promoted sport and Olympic ideals worldwide in numerous capacity.

His Royal Highness has served as President of the OCM since 1998. Before that he was the Vice President of OCM from 1985 to 1998. His Royal Highness is also the First Vice President of the Commonwealth Games Federation since 2003, Chairman of the Sports Committee for the Commonwealth Games Federation since 2003, Honorary Life President of the Southeast Asian Games Federation since 2001, Patron of the World Squash Federation since 2002, member of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS) since 2002 and President of the Malaysian Cricket Association since 1999. Imran has served the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 2006 and member of the IOC Commissions on Sport and Law (since 2002) and Sport for All (since 2006).

Opening of OCA New Headquarters Building

In a glittering and impressive display of cultural dances, Asian martial arts demonstrations and fireworks, the OCA Headquarters Inauguration Ceremony was held in the evening of 11th March 2009 at Kuwait. The Inauguration Ceremony was officiated by His Highness, The Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, in the presence of H.E. Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and H.E. Dr. Jacque Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and over 300 guests from the Olympic Family.

The Ceremony started off by a number of cultural dances by delegations from past and present Asian Games Host countries and cities, such as Indonesia, Korea, Oman, Khazatan, India, Guangzhou and Kuwait. The dances were followed by the “Drums of Asia”, featuring drum artists from Korean, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, India and Kuwait. This was followed by a medley of Asian Martial Arts demonstration of Japanese Kendo, Korean Taekwondo, Chinese Kung Fu and Indian Kalari Payattu, a Mask Dance from Guangzhou, China and the Falcon and Dragon from the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Grand Finale was the presentation of the song “Inspire the World”. Overall, the Inauguration Ceremony of the OCA Headquarters was a great success as it raised the image and prestige of the OCA.

OCA Headquarters – Olympia

The new OCA Headquarters, known as Olympia, was officially inaugurated by His Highness, The Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah on 11th March 2009. Olympia is a four-phase development projected owned by OCA, situated at the prime location at the Salmiya sea front. It comprises a seven floor building, adjacent to the impressive twin towers, a luxury shopping mall and offices (front tower) and the five-star Hilton Olympia Hilton (rear tower).

The OCA Headquarters comprises the following:-

4th Floor – Main offices.

3rd Floor – Academy including library, classrooms and lecture theatre.

2nd Floor – Conference room, offices.

1st Floor – Museum, offices.

Ground Floor – Museum, reception area and offices.

Basement 1 – Recreation area including pool, gym., squash courts and sauna spa.

Basement 2 – Accommodation for OCA staff.

1st OCA Congress 2009

The 1st OCA Congress was held from 12th to 14th March 2009 at the Arraya Ballroom, Kuwait. Around 140 papers were presented over the three days of the Congress. The Olympic Council of Malaysia were represented by the following:

YAM Tunku Tan Sri Imran ibni Al Marhun Tuanku Ja’afar, President of OCM and IOC Member. He presented a paper on ‘Governance of Sports in Asia”.

YBhg. Datuk Dr. M. Jegathesan, Deputy President of OCM. He is a member of the Organizing Committee of the 1st OCA Congress and presented a paper on “Sports Science in Asia”. He was also the Moderator of the Sports Science session.

Cik Low Beng Choo, Vice President of OCM. She presented a paper on “Women Sports in Asia”.

Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi, Honorary Secretary of OCM. He presented a paper in “Sport Marketing in Asia”.

The papers presented by OCM’s representatives were well received by the participants, who considered the papers of good standards.

The Declaration and the Resolutions of the 1st OCA Congress 2009 are as follows:

Kuwait Declaration

The 1st OCA Sport Congress gathered in Kuwait City during March 12 – 14, 2009, acknowledged the necessity of narrowing the gap among member NOCs and providing youths of Asia equal opportunity to excel in their sport performances while retaining the Asian significant traditional cultures. The Congress hereby declared and realized the importance of Olympic Education and fight against Doping in sports for the youths who are the future of Asian Olympic Movement with a belief that the establishment of the OCA Academy in its Headquarters should be able to fulfill this commitment,. “One Sport-One Game, One Game-One year” concept should be further explored and implemented at the appropriate time for the mutual interest of the Asia Olympic Movement in true spirit of Olympism.

Resolutions

1. Then Congress recommends to activate implementation in all Asian NOCs the “Green Legacy” under the IOC guidelines for future generations and was strongly disseminated the importance of Sport and Environment.

2. The Congress encourages all Asian Olympic Movement to promote more women in sports competitions and sport administrators through Olympic Solidarity Continental and World Programme including the IOC Women Commission’s activities.

3. Sport should be cultivated from the grass root to ensure the youths of Asian Continent who are the future of the Asian Olympic Movement shall be united with friendship and solidarity across the continent.

4. “One Sport-One Games, One Game-One Year” concept is worth to be implemented to minimize the burden of the NOCs.

5. The Congress fully supports the close collaborations with WADA in fighting against doping in sport by providing effective education in all levels not limited to athletes, coaches and team officials supported by the OCA Academy.

6. The findings from the systemic survey of sports science capacity in all Asian NOCs should be used to narrow the gap of the NOCs in this specific area through technical co-operation and technology transfer.

7. Marketing and new media technology are considered as the main mechanism in generating the Games revenues, anyhow under the present difficult economic situations, the Congress calls upon tall Assian Olympic Families to create core values in sport by exposure its dignity with fair play and fighting spirit for the attractions of sponsorship y creations innovative and feasible marketing technology to generate funds for Asian Sports.

8. The Congress strongly encouraged and recommended good governance in all Asian NOCs’ administrations and establishes good inter-relationships with governmental authorities to initiate the government involvement in the staging of Mega Sports Events with respective NOCs.

19th OCM Executive Board Meeting

The 19th OCM Executive Board Meeting was held on 10th March 2009 at 4.30 p.m. at OCM Boardroom, 1st Floor, Wisma OCM, Kuala Lumpur. The following matters were discussed and approved:

1. Approved the final draft of the OCM Trust Fund Deed;

2. Approved the proposal to assign a weightage of one each for Governance and Activities and Programmes and a weightage of two for Achievements. Based on the weightage assigned, a new score was calculated based on last year’s returns of the NSAs and the score was found to reflect a better picture of the sport.

3. Approved the five days comprehensive training on the Zeus Team Management System to be held in Kuala Lumpur from 20th to 24th April 2009. A representative each from the Commonwealth Games Association of Brunei Darussalam and the Maldives Olympic will be attending the training course.

4. Approved the procedures for the election of members of the Malaysian Athletes’ Commission.

IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia 2009

The Malaysian Ice Hockey team, competing at the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia from 13th to 22nd March 2009 at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, won their first match by beating the Mongolian Ice Hockey team with a score of 4 goals to 1.