SINGAPORE: Sport Singapore (SportSG) has entered into a new collaboration with the Japan Sport Council called ‘Project Annex’ to cultivate people’s development.
The new agreement was signed at the SportSG office on March 14, and it signifies a renewed commitment between the two organisations towards knowledge exchange in various domains of sports development.
‘Project Annex’ will see the Japan High Performance Sport Center (HPSC) and SportSG establishing workspaces in Tokyo and Singapore to promote staff exchanges and international joint research and promote the development of the next generation in both countries.
There will also be opportunities for both countries to collaborate in areas of learning regarding programmes for children, youths and seniors, as well as industry innovation and digitalisation.
Welcoming the collaboration between the two countries national sports agencies, SportSG CEO Alan Goh said:
“The Project Annex agreement reaffirms the strong and long-standing relationship between JSC and SportSG. Since 2013, we have had many collaborations and staff exchanges, and this has helped our people widen their knowledge and perspectives, which has, in turn, equipped them to do their jobs better.
The numerous personal friendships made over the years have also been invaluable in strengthening our JSC-SportSG partnership.
We are excited to enhance our collaboration opportunities with JSC for our people, in areas such as high performance sport, industry development, programme and policy design, and leadership.”
SportSG and JSC first signed a memorandum of understanding in April 2023, further extended in 2016 and 2022. Over the last 11 years, they have carried out various collaborative activities that mutually benefit both organisations.
In Singapore, SportSG is the central organisation responsible for delivering sports policy aligned with the Vision 2030 Master Plan.
Also present at the signing ceremony is JSC’s president and CEO Satoshi Ashidate, and JSC vice-president and HPSC’s high performance director Takeshi Kukidome.
“JSC has developed and strengthened its ties with Sport Singapore in various areas related to sports policy, particularly in high performance sport field. Singapore’s vision is not only to promote sports, but also to create a better society through sports, considering “human resources” as an important facet,” mentioned JSC’s president and CEO Ashidate.
JSC’s CEO Ashidate hoped this new framework would create fresh opportunities for future generations.
He explained that these opportunities would not only provide valuable knowledge and experience but also lead to society’s development through sports and further the enhancement of high-performance sports and beyond in both countries.