ACC-SEAMEO Sports Education Innovation Award Presentation Ceremony Held in Thailand

On 8 May 2015, ACC-SEAMEO Sports Education Innovation Award Presentation Ceremony was held during a dinner reception in Chonburi, Thailand. Thailand Education Minister H.E. Admiral Narong Pipatanasai, Director of SEAMEO Secretariat Dr. Gatot H. Priowirjanto, Mr. Tri Purnajaya, Director of Education, Culture and Tourism Division (ECTD) of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) co-presented awards to 8 winning schools from primary and secondary levels from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,  Singapore, and Thailand. All the 11 Education Ministers and representatives from Southeast Asian countries attending the 48th SEAMEO Council Conference witnessed the presentation ceremony. Mr. Tri Purnajaya, in his remarks introduced ACC's roles and function as an inter-governmental organization, and the purpose of launching the Award. Mr. Purnajaya also elaborated on ACC's achievements in promoting education cooperation between Southeast Asian countries and China. SEAMEO Director and the Education Ministers stated that it was the first time for SEAMEO to co-establish such Award with an international organization, and praised ACC for its efforts and contribution in supporting the development of sports education among ASEAN schools.

Under the theme "Amity, Creativity and Development through School Sports", the 2014 SEAMEO-ACC Sports Education Innovation Award was initially launched in May 2014, aiming to recognize primary and secondary schools in ASEAN countries that had exemplary projects or activities in those aspects. The first ever Award activity was highly anticipated, more than 100 entries were received from primary and secondary schools in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Altogether 8 schools were selected to take the First, Second and Third Prize prizes, respectively. Each of the recipient schools were awarded with a Plaque of Recognition and a combination of sports facilities and equipment worth of RMB 100,000 (1st), RMB 60,000 (2nd), and RMB 40, 000 (3rd) respectively. 

Beijing Taiao Sports Culture Development Co., Ltd. sponsored the sports equipment and shouldered the costs of the awardees' trip to Bangkok. Taiao, a partner of ACC since 2012, has pledged to donate sports equipment worth of RMB10,000,000 to ACC for ASEAN-China cooperation and exchanges in Education in 5 years. The Award would also help raise the level of awareness on the importance of ASEAN-China relations and the role of ACC among primary and secondary students.