Plans afoot to turn Bukit Jalil Sports Complex into merchandise centre

KUALA LUMPUR: The Youth and Sports Ministry plans to transform the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex into a “sports city” where it can become a one-stop centre for sports merchandise.

“We have presented this idea to the EPU (Economic Planning Unit),” said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

“The Bukit Jalil Sports Complex can be a profitable one-stop sports centre. We intend to use it as a model and if it is successful, we would like to replicate it in other states as well,” he said after the launch of the Sports Industry Year 2011/12 here yesterday.

The Bukit Jalil Sports Complex includes the National Stadium, Putra Stadium, National Aquatics Centre, National Squash Centre, National Hockey Stadium and is home to both the National Sports Institute and National Sports Council.

Ahmad Shabery pointed out that in popular venues such as the Barclays Premier League team Manchester United's home ground of Old Trafford, there were ample outlets to purchase the team's products and memorabilia but this was not the case in local stadiums, such as the National Stadium at Bukit Jalil.

“The stadium itself should become a profit centre,” he said.

On sports as a sector and contributor to the local economy, Ahmad Shabery said the Malaysian sports industry had contributed RM30.2bil to gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009.

“However, Malaysia's sports industry has yet to be accepted as one of the nation's National Key Economic Areas. The ministry believes in the importance or potential of sports as an industry.

“The ministry has embarked on a number of initiatives to make this a reality and to turn Malaysia's sports industry as a major contributor to Gross National Income.

“This, in turn, will help fulfil the Economic Transformation Programme target of a high-income nation by 2020,” said Ahmad Shabery.

Sports Industry Year 2011/12 is a one-year campaign that runs until July 27. It is aimed at identifying high growth opportunities in the sports industry, targeting expansion and investment as well as establish the sports industry as one of the major contributors towards the Malaysian economy.