JOHOR BARU: The Johor Sports Master Plan 2030, which is expected to be launched early next year, is part of the states efforts to turn the sports industry into a major economic contributor and nurture a healthy lifestyle among Johoreans.

Johor tourism, youth and sports committee chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the plan was part of the sports and healthy lifestyle initiative announced by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad during the recent state budget tabling.

The master plan is part of our ongoing plans to promote sports tourism with the sports industry becoming one of our main economic contributors aside from nurturing a healthy lifestyle among the people.

Although the sports master plan emphasises high-performance sports initiatives through the Johor Sports Council (MSNJ), it is also trying to make sports the new economic pillar of the state, Onn Hafiz said when contacted.

He had previously said that the state government was in the final phase of completing the master plan.

He explained that it covered the requirement of four key audiences which included high performance, lifestyle, learning and business community.

The aim is also to encourage the creation of a sustainable sports ecosystem as an industry in Johor, he said, adding that the master plan would also focus on job creation, learning opportunities, events, sports technology and research, and sports tourism.

Onn Hafiz said MSNJ would be working together with Sports Johor Sdn Bhd and Loughborough University from the United Kingdom to better prepare Malaysia Games (Sukma) athletes for the Sukma XX Johor 2022 competition.

The state government has allocated RM1mil to the Johor Sports Associations Professionalism Programme aside from awarding a grant to sports associations according to the grade given by MSNJ.

The government will also provide a platform for the people to take part in sports programmes such as the Xtif Johor Prosperous Sports Carnival with a total of RM1.9mil allocation, he disclosed, saying that it involved sports such as sepak takraw, badminton and basketball.

He added that the carnival would be conducted throughout 56 state constituencies in Johor aside from other programmes such as Xtif Johor Fun Ride, Fun Run and E-sports organised under the Johor Youth Development Centre.

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Healthy lifestyle initiative - The Star Online