CAN'T help it but I must say that Milo is the unsung hero when it comes to helping Malaysia develop its sports at the grassroots level for the past four decades, and the brand should be appreciated for all it has done.
Since I started my sporting activities ─ namely swimming, football and hockey ─ in the early 1980s when I was in primary school, Milo has done a great deal in terms of sponsorships.
Yes, this chocolate malt beverage from Nestle will always be close to my heart for the support it has given to the Under-12s, 15s and 18s.
During my time, Milo brought all the excitement to the younger set.
I am not saying that other brands didn’t do much for sports development but from my experience, Milo made their presence felt in many sporting activities.
If Milo was not there, then the tournament or competition would not be complete.
I believe that many other athletes, who’ve had a similar experience of participating in age group competitions that involve sponsorships from Milo, would agree with me.
How can we forget that iconic white t-shirt given to each participant during a tournament or a sports meet by Milo? If I had collected them all, my cupboard would be filled with these t-shirts.
Then, there were those green wooden A-Boards surrounding the venues, which were later changed to a much-lighter zinc material.
Milo also provided hampers to the winners, such as top scorers and so on. Not only that, the brand also provided most of the medals in the various competitions or meets.
Who can ever forget that green van that dispensed free cups of Milo during a tournament or sports meet?
Milo was pivotal in getting an even wider pool of talent, among others, as the sponsor for the National Junior Hockey League, which was first introduced in 1995.
Of course, we cannot leave out Datuk Dina Rizal when we’re talking about Milo and its contributions to sports development.
Dina took over the helm of Milo sports marketing in 1980. Without wasting much time, he steered it to greater heights as more and more grassroots sports projects became Milo babies.
Apart from focusing on the betterment of the brand, he and his team were passionate about developing sports within the country.
Dina, also known as Mr Milo for obvious reasons, proved to be instrumental in conceptualising some of the brand’s most recognisable campaigns.
The most notable was the ‘Malaysia Boleh’ battle cry in support of the Malaysian contingent at the 1993 Singapore SEA Games. It went on to be chanted at international tournaments and competitions in support of Malaysia.
It soon caught on as Malaysians' signature battle cry at major sporting events that Milo centred its brand campaign for the Kuala Lumpur 1998 Commonwealth Games around it.
‘Malaysia Boleh!’ was no longer just a chant to cheer on our national athletes but had become a phrase to instil confidence in Malaysians that they were capable of anything.
Dina also played an integral role in launching the Milo-MSSM Games in partnership with the Ministry of Education.
Upon Dina’s retirement in 2004, his role was taken over by Ng Ping Loong, who joined Nestle (Malaysia) in 1992.
Carrying on the Milo sports marketing legacy left by his predecessor, Ng established and launched Milo Hidup Bola in 2006, which grew to become the country's largest annual futsal carnival that attracted over 12,000 players every year.
The campaign helped to discover a new pool of talents, many of whom would go on to compete at international tournaments.
After serving the company for 35 years, 27 of them dedicated to championing grassroots sports development, Ng retired early last year. He is succeeded by Lim Kerwin.
All said and done, people should realise and acknowledge the contributions of Milo to the betterment of sports in the country.
Can you imagine how many national athletes have been produced in the last four decades with the help of this brand?
For instance, look at hockey; whenever there was a Milo-sponsored tournament, I would be one of those excited kids doing their thing to the tune of a promotional anthem blaring out from an iconic green van that dispensed free cups of Milo.
‘Minum Milo, jadi sihat dan kuat!’, were words that shaped me as a hockey player in so many ways.
Thank you, Milo, for your contribution. It will never be forgotten.
Stay safe, Malaysia ─ The Vibes, 19 February, 2021
