ANZ Royal CNVLD Wheelie Grand Prix
From concept to reality to corporate sustainability in just three years, the CNVLD – ANZ Royal Wheelie Grand Prix programme is demonstrating that long-term partnership between local sports organisations and the corporate sector can be an effective path to sustainable sports development.
The CNVLD is the premier disability sports organisation in
ANZ- Royal Bank, the Cambodian subsidiary of ANZ Bank and one of
Through a successful, award winning template based on a clear formula, the CNVLD has undertaken the responsibility to deliver a high quality sporting product initially developed with international partners, including AusAID, the German National Olympic Federation, the Australian Business Volunteer (ABV) programme, and complemented by the local design and manufacture of the first Cambodian racing wheelchair.
CNVLD Secretary – General Mr. Christopher Minko explains; “We didn’t approach a corporate entity – ANZ Royal Bank – until we knew we had an international standard quality sports product that is commercially attractive, due to the media coverage of elite-level sport, along with the additional benefit of the sponsor being recognised as a socially responsible corporate citizen”
A key element to this formula is the CNVLD’s ‘We do not want charity’ approach in recognition that donor funding is a time-limited resource. As Minko points out “the CNVLD approach is light years ahead of the ‘cap in hand’ mentality”. Sport has immense potential to instigate social change in particular by building the discipline necessary for employment creation.
Sport as a catalyst for social change in post-conflict nations is an exceptionally valuable tool when issues such as a culture of violence, weak social cohesion, high unemployment, disaffected youth and a high percentage of disability per capita can threaten to undermine efforts to bring about stability. However, the strength of sport in this context lies in its apolitical status and one of the CNVLD’s greatest successes has been its ability to bring together former foes on the sports court.
Peter Bartu, Ph.D. from the International and Area Studies Department of the University of California at Berkeley, and who has studied the CNVLD at length, argues that
“The unique and unrivalled power of sport to bridge social and political divides is becomingly increasingly recognised within the post-conflict development paradigm. Sport can be utilised as a building block within the complex and extended processes of national reconciliation, peace-building, demobilisation, reintegration and veteran’s rehabilitation.
As a sustainable civil society initiative, inclusive national sports programmes serve a multitude of functions from improving individual and national self-esteem and health to a means for post-conflict nations to re-enter the political and economic international community.”
The CNVLD’s success and ANZ –Royal Bank’s support for the Wheelie Grand Prix makes this a pioneering partnership in the field of sports and development and will further assist
A spokesman for ANZ Royal said that “ANZ Royals support for CNVLD Wheelchair Racing is the company's way of showing its commitment to uplifting the local community through sports. ANZ Royal firmly believes in the ability of sports to instil in individuals the drive to be their best and the value of teamwork. For this reason, the public is certain to see ANZ Royal becoming even more actively involved in sports in Cambodia.”
The inaugural ANZ Royal CNVLD Wheelie Grand Prix 2007 on Saturday 26h May 2007 publicly debuted the exciting new corporate design for the wheelchairs and team uniforms, raising the profile of the Athletes with a Disability of Cambodia and again setting the standards for others to follow.
Since 2007, 5 racing teams from
ANZ Royal Bank staff also continue to lead the way in corporate social responsibility through volunteering to staff each round of the ANZ Royal Wheelie Grand Prix.