KUCHING: Sarawak has come onto the radar for a potential collaboration with one of Spain’s football giants, FC Barcelona.

Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said the club’s interest was expressed during his working visit to their facilities last year.

“During our visit to Barcelona, we met with FC Barcelona’s top management, and the meeting genuinely surprised me because they expressed a clear intention to establish a collaboration with Sarawak.

“In fact, I had been informed earlier that they were interested in working together and were considering a form of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which may be signed around March this year,” he said.

He made these remarks while delivering his speech at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak (MYSED) Kesinambungan Budi event, held at a hotel here on Friday.

Elaborating further, Dato Sri Abdul Karim, who also serves as Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts, revealed that the proposed collaboration would not be limited to the development of football in the state, but would also extend to other sports.

He said the initiative reflects how global leaders view Sarawak as having strong potential for meaningful partnerships, particularly in advancing the sports sector in the state.

“This is something that sometimes gives us a sense of pride, because if we were not able to position ourselves on the global stage as we have today, we certainly would not be receiving opportunities like this.

“Therefore, whether in sports, youth development, or other ministries, I believe we must place ourselves at a certain level to ensure that we truly live up to the expectations, perceptions and views held by global leaders towards us,” he added. -UKASnews