KUALA LUMPUR – World-renowned sports brand, Puma, has recently signed a deal with the Malaysian Football League (MFL) as the official match ball provider for all MFL competitions.
Through their partnership, the German manufacturer plans to revive the sport in Malaysia at the grassroots level.
Speaking to The Vibes, its country manager, Steven Tan, said Puma aims to engage the local community with specialised training and development programmes – in the form of football workshops for Malaysian youths – to identify and nurture promising young talents.
“Together with the help of locally-sponsored footballers, such as Khairul Fahmi and Mahalli Jasuli, Puma wants to motivate Malaysian youths to chase their dreams and keep the hard work going,” said Steven.
The iconic sports brand did something similar in 2017 when it successfully launched a year-long football academy for local youths.
“It aimed to help young footballers hone their skills and become better players in the future with free professional coaching”
Steven added that similar plans to engage the local football scene are already in the pipeline, including one to revive the coaching programme, which will help the industry bounce back once the pandemic wanes.
“Given the pandemic, we will be monitoring Covid-19 developments in Malaysia, and if all goes well, we plan to roll out more activities and programmes over time.
“At the moment, the priority is our partnership with MFL, and our ability to continue benefitting pro footballers with our top-of-the-line products. Subsequently, we aim to engage and connect with the fanbase that MFL commands,” said Steven.
As a noteworthy addition to the sports brand’s growing portfolio, MFL will be the first football league in Asia to use special-edition match balls produced by Puma.
Its partnership with MFL will commence with the 2021 Malaysia Cup tournament, with Puma providing official match balls for the Charity Cup, FA Cup and Challenge Cup as well as for Super League and Premier League matches.
Through key collaborations and continuous improvements in sports gear innovation, Puma aims to inspire the world to be faster than ever, and to never settle for anything less than the best. – The Vibes, October 14, 2021
