S’pore swimming on the hunt for sponsorship dollars

SINGAPORE — After banking close to S$4 million in sponsorship over the last two years, the Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) has set an ambitious target of raising S$15 million from now till 2020.

Unveiling the SSA’s financial goals in an interview with TODAY ahead of its annual general meeting (AGM) and elections this year, Jose Raymond, SSA’s vice-president (finance), said: “Based on what we have now in terms of corporate partners, events, and the value of our athletes, coaches and officials, there is a possibility of earning up to S$2.5 million to S$2.6 million a year in sponsorship.

“We are now at S$2 million a year … if we look at a 10 per cent incremental every year, there is potential for S$15 million from now till 2020.”

If successful, the sponsorship amount will place the SSA among the top earners in Singapore sport — in sponsorship dollars — alongside sports such as table tennis and football. As a comparison, the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) had racked up more than S$10 million in sponsorship during former president Lee Bee Wah’s six-year tenure, while football gets close to S$8 million a year in sponsorship.

Since coming on board in June 2014, the SSA’s 10-member executive committee (ex-co), aided by its secretariat, has raised about S$3.88 million in the last 22 months, a significant increase from the S$950,000 in sponsorship dollars recorded for the financial year 2013/2014.

They currently have eight corporate partners on board, including OCBC Bank, Neo Garden Catering, Volkswagen, Yakult, and 100PLUS. For the year 2014, the SSA recorded a deficit of S$13,378, while last year saw a surplus of S$830,128.

The SSA said yesterday that it would work on three key areas to boost sponsorship figures: Corporate partnerships, local programmes and events, as well as creating value for its athletes, coaches and officials.

“We have the right team in place, the right strategies, and creativity in sponsorships,” said Raymond. “There is a lot of value (in our local events), a lot of eyeballs and interest if you link up with the right partners. Our athletes, coaches and officials also have value and we want to find opportunities to create more value for them.”

Boosting the association’s bottom line is part of the SSA’s mission for the next two years, as incumbent president Lee Kok Choy announced yesterday that he will again run for office at the association’s AGM — which must be held by the end of June — to secure another two-year mandate from affiliates.