ABU Secretary-General, Ahmed Nadeem, this morning welcomed VIPs, international and local delegates, trainers, speakers and members of the media to the Sports Media Conference (SMC) that is taking place at the Royale Chulan, Kuala Lumpur, from 14th May to 16th May.

Nadeem said the SMC is not entirely new but has been rebranded to keep up with industry relevance and standards. He said that the main purpose of SMC is to bring sports to the people and make it more accessible as sports events have long been unaffordable to most people.

“Sports is one of the few activities that brings people together regardless of culture, ethnicity and background,” Nadeem said, and added that SMC attendees can benefit from the variety of content available at the conference, which consists of workshops, masterclasses and other expert-led sessions.

Nadeem also expressed his appreciation at seeing the participants and to the sport and broadcasting industries for lending their support to the conference, saying: “With more partners, we can work together and learn from each other and share our experiences.”

Lorraine Yuen (ABU Sports Group Chairperson) also spoke at the opening session, applauding the rise of sports in Asia. Meanwhile, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria (President of Olympic Council of Malaysia) discussed the evolution of eSports in Asia and the importance of human collaboration with machines. He predicts that immersive technology will revolutionise sports broadcasting and emphasised the importance of media partnerships in elevating sports, fostering growth, and promoting unity.

Themed “The Rise of Sports in Asia,” the Sports Media Conference (SMC) is a premiere event organised by the ABU that gathers sports field players, media and experts to push for sports broadcasting excellence across the Asia-Pacific region.