SSCs Lets Play Movement Gets $5 Million Boost From Coca Cola Sg

Singapore Sports Council’s Let’s Play Movement Gets S$5 Million Boost From Coca-Cola Singapore

SSC Teams Up with Coca-Cola to Bring More Sporting Opportunities to Local Communities

Singapore, 29 April 2011 - The Let’s Play movement is receiving a S$5 million boost as the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) and Coca-Cola team up to bring more sporting fun to the local communities in Singapore.

1. The five-year partnership (from 2011 to 2015) will see the SSC and Coca-Cola working together to increase participation in sporting activities at the grassroots level in Singapore. The aim is to invite all Singaporeans to embrace the Let’s Play values and make sports a lifestyle choice be it through playing, watching, cheering or volunteering for sports.

2. In line with the Company’s “Live Positively” commitment to make a positive difference in the world, Coca-Cola is kicking off its collaboration with the SSC on Let’s Play Non-Stop! this year. From April to November 2011, Let’s Play Non-Stop! will highlight a sport each month and awareness of the sport will be done through a series of weekend roadshows held at venue partner CapitaMall Asia’s various shopping centres and at SSC’s Sports and Recreation Centres (SRCs) islandwide.

3. Eight sports have been specially chosen to coincide with the exciting calendar of major sporting events happening this year in Singapore. Not only will Singaporeans learn a new sport and play it with their friends in the neighbourhood, they will also have the opportunity to watch the professionals in action at major competitions. This creates great synergy - participants move from the roadshow at the neighbourhood shopping centres, to play at the sports complex, and finally experience thrilling ‘live’ sporting action at each event.

4. Commenting on the partnership at the launch of Let’s Play Non-Stop! at IMM, Mr Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports & Ministry of Transport, “Coca-Cola’s support is invaluable in our efforts to bring sports to the masses, and to build a vibrant Sporting Singapore. We strongly believe that partnerships with the private sectors are mutually beneficial, and we encourage more companies to step up and be part of our sporting journey.”

5. Antonio Del Rosario, GM for Coca-Cola Singapore said, “At Coca-Cola, we’re committed to contributing to a healthy and happy Singapore. We believe that everyone - business, government and civil society - has a role to play in promoting active, healthy living and we’re excited to work with the SSC to expand physical activity opportunities for Singaporean families.”

6. “Play, watch, cheer is more than a slogan for the Let’s Play movement. It’s our call to action for Singaporeans. We want people to make sports their No.1 choice for fun, fitness and family time,” said Mr Lim Teck Yin, CEO, Singapore Sports Council. “With Let’s Play Non-Stop!, we are giving more people a chance to try more, learn more and play more sports.”

7. Beginning with Netball at IMM on 29 - 30 April 2011 and Sengkang SRC on 1 May 2011, Singaporeans will get to try their hand at Netball and get tips from trainers present on ways to improve their techniques. Participants will also get a chance to enter a lucky draw to win a trip to the 26th SEA Games in Palembang, Indonesia this November to cheer on Team Singapore.

8. Daily tickets to the Mission Foods World Netball Championships 2011 held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from 3 - 10 July 2011 were also launched at the event. Beginning today, the public will be able to purchase daily tickets to catch the world’s top netball teams battle it out, prices for daily tickets range from S$10 - S$160. Student prices are also available for students 25 years and under, holding a Singapore student pass. For more information on daily tickets and ticket packages, the public can visit www.sistic.com.sg.

9. Let’s Play Non-Stop! is part of the Let’s Play movement, an initiative by the SSC to encourage all Singaporeans to embrace sports as a lifestyle choice, be it through playing, watching, cheering or volunteering for sports. More information on Let’s Play Non-Stop! can be found at www.facebook.com/livebetterthroughsport.

Annex A - Schedule of Let’s Play Non-Stop!

Annex B - Fact Sheet on World Netball Championships

Fact Sheet on World Netball Championships.pdf [126 Kb]

For media enquiries on the SSC and Let’s Play Non-Stop!, please contact:

Patricia Yee
Executive
Media Relations
Singapore Sports Council
Office: (65) 6500 5246
Email: patricia_yee@ssc.gov.sg

For media enquiries on Coca-Cola

June Kong
Public Affairs and Communications
Coca-Cola Singapore
Office: (65) 6860 4067
Email: jkong@apac.ko.com

About the Singapore Sports Council
Formed in 1973, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) is tasked with developing a holistic sports culture for the nation. The SSC creates opportunities for people to excel in sports; opportunities for people to be engaged in sports as, coaches, officials, volunteers or fans; and opportunities for people to do business in sports as sponsors and investors. The SSC has changed the way Singaporeans view and participate in sports. Through sports, we now have an enhanced national identity thanks to our sports participation programmes; greater national pride as a result of high performance results at international and regional games; and more diversified economic stability through our vibrant sports industry initiatives.

To find out more, visit our website www.sportsingapore.gov.sg
Join SSC on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/singaporesports
Join Singaporesports.sg on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/livebetterthroughsport
For a range of photographs, search for “Singapore Sports Council” on www.flickr.com/photos/ssc-sportsphotography

About Let’s Play
Let’s Play is a nation-wide movement by the Singapore Sports Council to encourage everyone in Singapore to embrace sports as a lifestyle choice. Sports, while also fun, offers health and social benefits. Let’s Play seeks to connect, energise and enrich everyone from all walks of life through the many aspects of sports, be it playing, watching, cheering or volunteering. For more information on Let’s Play, please visit www.sportsingapore.gov.sg.

About Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola Singapore is the leader in nonalcoholic beverages in Singapore. In addition to the world’s most valuable brand, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Singapore also produces, markets and distributes a total beverage portfolio of sparkling beverages, zero-sugar sparkling drinks (Coke light and Coke Zero), juice drinks (Minute Maid), teas (Heaven and Earth) and water (Dasani and vitaminwater).

Coca-Cola Singapore is committed to supporting programs and partnerships that encourage Singaporeans to be more physically active, such as the Youth Olympic Games. Coca-Cola Singapore introduced the Step With It, Singapore! program in 2003 which has benefited over 120 primary schools and 350,000 Singaporeans. The local football team Home United has also been supported by Coca-Cola since 2002, in a commitment that exceeds SGD2.5 million.

The Coca-Cola system in Singapore is a Gold award recipient of the Food Safety Awards for excellence in hygiene and food safety standards and maintaining an ‘A’ grade rating for 15 consecutive years. Coca-Cola was also awarded the Gold award in the 3R Packaging Awards 2010 for reducing packaging waste.

For more information about The Coca-Cola Company or Coca-Cola Singapore, please visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com and www.coca-cola.com.sg.