Windfall for MHF

27/10/2001

THE Malaysian Hockey Federation needs RM4.8 million to host the 2002 Kuala
Lumpur World Cup on February 24 to March 9, and yesterday AFFINBANK
chipped in with RM1 million towards the cause.
"After today, AFFINBANK will be very close to our hearts, because the
bank's name will be prominently displayed on the jersies during the World
Cup. This is the first time in the MHF history that we have named our
sponsors on the jersey since we started actively organising tournaments in
1950," said MHF deputy president Tan Sri P. Alagendra after the cheque
presentation ceremony at AFFINBANK headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The ceremony started with the rebana ubi welcoming MHF president Sultan
Azlan Shah and the cheque presentation was done by AFFINBANK chairman Gen
(rtd) Tan Sri Datuk Zain Hashim and witnessed by AFFINBANK Chief Executive
Officer Raja Datuk Aman Ahmad.
After presenting the cheque, the AFFINBANK chairman said: "We would like
to think that our role in hockey goes deeper than the KL World Cup. It is
a deep-rooted feeling towards the development of the sport in the country
as a whole that we would like to see.
"It is our vision and hope that this interest will also come from the
aspiring young Malaysians to do their best in the World Cup," said Zain.
Alagendra said the World Cup is considered the most prestigious
tournament in the hockey calendar and they are doing everyting to make it
a big success.
"On the organisational side, everyting is running smoothly and with
three months to the World Cup, almost everyting is in place. AFFINBANK's
contribution will help boost hockey further in the country," said
Alagendra.
Kuala Lumpur will be the first city in the world to host the World Cup
twice come February and after the silver medal won by Malaysia in the 1998
Commonwealth Games, expectations are high on the team.
"We have not set any target for the boys in the 2002 World Cup but
naturally we are looking for a good finish. Most of the countries have
been training for the World Cup for three years now and cannot be taken
lightly.
"Our boys have been steadily improving but so has the rest of the
world," cautioned Alagendra.
AFFINBANK CEO Aman said they have been helping hockey in the junior
league level and then the Azlan Shah Cup. Now the World Cup will give them
worldwide mileage.
"Our bank's name on the jersey and billboards around the National Hockey
Stadium in Bukit Jalil will be beamed worldwide. What else can we ask for?
"The junior side had our logo on their jersies in Hobart for the recent
Junior World Cup, so we are looking to make this relationship a long
lasting one," said Aman.
"Much has been said about the state of sports in the country at recent
times, one cannot agree that there are problems. However, if there is one
thing that stil holds true, it must be the fact that national interest in
sport is still very high.
"What it means is that sport is in the soul of every Malaysian. It is
this factor that will contiunue to push Malaysian sport to a higher level
in the world with some assistance from the private sector.
"So we at AFFINBANK are not merely in for the ride, we are working with
sports associations and the Sports Ministry to realise a better future for
sports in Malaysia," said Zain. jugjet@nstp.com.my
(END)