We create space for children to sport and play, also in Malaysia! We've been active in Malaysia since 2012 and we're happy to announce more projects will be coming. Today, we opened Cruyff Court Felda Lurah Bilut, in cooperation with our local partner Yayasan Hasanah, the Malaysian Ministery of Youth and Sport and the Dutch Ministery of Foreign Affairs.
The opening was done by mr. Yang Berhormat Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Minister of Youth and Sports and mrs. Karin Mossenlechner, the Dutch ambassador of Malaysia. So many happy faces: what an amazing event!
The Cruyff Court is a much anticipated facility for the children of this rural, poor community in Malaysia. It will help them to discover their talents, increase their self-confidence and to learn new skills. We've got great plans for the youth in this part of the world, as we hope to open a lot more Cruyff Courts the coming years together with Yayasan Hasanah! Together we want to continue to enhance access to sport facilities for children from all backgrounds.
Hasanah Managing Director, Shahira Ahmed Bazari said: “At Hasanah, we aim to deliver meaningful long-term and sustainable impact in various areas including by creating safe, inclusive and accessible public spaces for all Malaysians. We want to continue empowering young Malaysians, especially children from underprivileged families, to become active and inspirational members of their community. We believe that sports are just one of the ways to bring communities together, and our collaboration with the Johan Cruyff foundation has contributed greatly to this.”
The launch of Felda Bilut also marks the launch of the Cruyff Foundation Coach Course in Malaysia. We trained 18 Cruyff Foundation Coaches in Malaysia, who will help us launch the Heroes of the Cruyff Courts program. This project gives young Malaysians the opportunity to be a role model for their peers. They are given a stage to grow and develop their talents, all while gaining more self-confidence, and finding practical ways to work towards their personal ambitions.
