Kuala Lumpur, 17 March 2025 – The ASEAN Sports ADR Forum 2025 was officially introduced today in a soft launch ceremony at the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC). The event brought together key stakeholders from the sports and legal sectors, aiming to strengthen dispute resolution mechanisms across the ASEAN region.
The ceremony was graced by the presence of YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), and YB Puan Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan, Minister of Youth and Sports, both of whom delivered special addresses emphasizing the need for fair play and effective arbitration in sports.
Following the official launch, a panel discussion titled “From Grassroots to Glory: Ensuring Fairness in Sports” took center stage. Moderated by Mr. Suhardi Alias, National Sports Commissioner, the discussion featured insightful contributions from Mr. Izham Ismail, CEO of the Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM), Mr. Ahmad Arif Astaman of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation, Mr. Sri Sarguna Raj of the Sports Law Association of Malaysia (SLAM), and former Malaysian badminton player, Ms. Ang Li Peng.
The panel explored various aspects of sports dispute resolution, including athlete rights, governance challenges, and the role of legal frameworks in ensuring fair competition. Izham Ismail, speaking on behalf of PFAM, emphasized the critical need for robust and accessible arbitration mechanisms to safeguard professional athletes. He stressed that athletes deserve fair and transparent avenues for dispute resolution and reaffirmed PFAM’s commitment to advocating for players and ensuring they receive proper support when facing legal challenges.
PFAM extends its sincere gratitude to the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) and its CEO, Datuk Almalena Sharmila Johan, for the invitation and for spearheading this significant initiative. AIAC’s dedication to strengthening sports arbitration in ASEAN plays a crucial role in ensuring justice and integrity in the sporting world.
The ASEAN Sports ADR Forum 2025, a strategic collaboration between the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department (BHEUU JPM), the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia (KBS), and AIAC, aims to establish a stronger dispute resolution framework across ASEAN sports. With the momentum gained from today’s discussions, the full-scale ASEAN Sports ADR Forum 2025 is set to take place in May 2025, where further initiatives will be introduced to enhance governance, legal support, and athlete protection in sports arbitration
