Basketball bonanza from AirAsia

From Yee Chun Leong IN KUALA LUMPUR

Friday, September 3, 2010

Fancy catching your team on the road during the second season of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) at a more affordable price?

It may very well be a reality after AirAsia announced that the airline will be the new title sponsor for the ABL 2010/2011 season yesterday at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

The partnership is set to be a potent combination and hopefully generate further interest from fans of the sport across the region and beyond.

AirAsia Group CEO Dato' Sri Dr Tony Fernandes yesterday said that the partnership also hopes to aid in the development of the region's athletes.

"As an Asean airline, it is our obligation to help develop the standard and quality of sports in the region. The region has a lot of untapped young talents but limited opportunities are available for them to progress further in their respective fields," he said.

The CEO added that being the title sponsor will definitely allow further development of the sport in the region.

"When given the opportunity to be the title sponsor, we seized it immediately as we believe we can positively contribute to the development of the sport and provide the platform for Asean youths to shine," said Fernandes.

Kuhan Foo, the CEO of ABL, echoed similar sentiments.