SINGAPORE — Singapore Badminton Affiliation (SBA) has just lately obtained a well timed increase with two main sponsors, Karim Household Basis (KFF) and JK Know-how, pledging a complete of $1.1 million. KFF has pledged $600,000 over the subsequent three years to assist nationwide gamers prepare and compete whereas JK Know-how has dedicated $500,000 in the direction of supporting the SBA’s newly launched post-career gratuity programme.
KFF and JK Know-how are additionally sponsors for the upcoming Singapore Badminton Open, which might be held from June 6 to June 11 on the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The Singapore nationwide badminton gamers are presently in Cambodia for the SEA Video games the place they’ve gained bronze within the males’s and girls’s workforce occasions.
The boys’s workforce misplaced 3-1 to Indonesia within the semi-finals, whereas the ladies’s workforce went down by the identical scoreline to Thailand within the semi-finals too.
Most of those gamers together with Loh Kean Yew, and Yeo Jia Min will now not take part within the SEA Video games as they are going to journey to China for the Sudirman Cup (Might 14 to 21). Singapore has been drawn in Group A alongside hosts China, Denmark and Egypt.
Loh expressed his gratitude to the sponsors for serving to the gamers.
“It’s very heartwarming to see company sponsors are available to assist the game, when it comes to participant growth and a post-career plan. With all these initiatives, it can give gamers the reassurance and encouragement to proceed to pursue the game and carry out,” stated Loh who expressed his gratitude to all of the sponsors and supporters.
The KFF, established by Indonesian tycoon Bachtiar Karim and his spouse Dewi Sukwanto, is devoted to philanthropy with a concentrate on sports activities growth, arts and tradition, psychological well being, and training. In 2021, the inspiration donated $200,000 to native favorite Loh following his historic BWF World Championship win.
“We’re very enthusiastic and excited to assist our native gamers of their future growth within the sport over the subsequent few years. KFF believes that investing in gamers is a vital step in the direction of constructing a robust and sustainable future for badminton in Singapore. We hope to scale back the monetary fear that many sportsmen and sportswomen in Singapore have as they chase their goals by giving them the required assist, enabling alternatives for them to compete on the highest degree and convey glory to Singapore on the world stage,” stated Cindy Karim, KFF’s principal.
In the meantime, SBA’s newly launched post-career gratuity programme might be supported by JK Tecknology’s half-a-million-dollar sponsorship. As a part of the programme, SBA will set funds apart to be disbursed as a gratuity to eligible athletes on the finish of their enjoying profession. The gratuity quantity is pegged to an athlete’s greatest rating throughout their profession and the time they represented Singapore within the sport, with payouts starting from $16,000 to $100,000.
“It is a essential initiative as a result of one of many causes we have now recognized why gamers have dropped out and are usually not contemplating their full profession growth is as a result of they fear about not having the monetary means after they ultimately finish their enjoying profession. With this fund we’re organising, gamers can play badminton with a peace of thoughts, to focus and excel within the recreation,” stated Eugene Ang, the managing director of JK Know-how, who was one among 5 native businesspersons who raised $50,000 for Loh after his BWF World Championship victory.
SBA chief government officer Alan Ow stated that he’s grateful for the beneficiant contributions from KFF and JK Know-how and he feels that their sponsorship will play a significant position in supporting the event of our nationwide badminton gamers and aiding their monetary future by way of the post-career gratuity program.
“It is a important step in the direction of reaching our targets of constructing a sustainable and thriving badminton ecosystem in Singapore. We look ahead to working carefully with our companions to create alternatives for our gamers to excel internationally,” stated Ow.
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