SUZUKI RENEWS ITS TITLE SPONSORSHIP OF AFF SUZUKI CUP

ASEAN football received a further boost today as Japanese car giant Suzuki Motor Corporation renewed its title sponsorship of the AFF Suzuki Cup for 2010.

The AFF Suzuki Cup is Southeast Asia’s biggest football event and ratings leader. This year’s competition, featuring the region’s top eight teams, will be co-hosted by Indonesia and Vietnam from December 1st to 29th. Suzuki has been a title-sponsor of the AFF Cup since 2008.

“It is an honor for us, Suzuki Motor Corporation, to support the AFF Cup, an event which we have proudly title-sponsored since 2008. The AFF Suzuki Cup is the biggest, most exciting event in ASEAN, uniting its people through a common passion - football. We believe that through our sponsorship of this event, fans will have the opportunity to feel and experience a unique connection with Suzuki automobiles, motorcycles and outboards; products which are very much part of households in the region,” said, Mr. Toshihiro Suzuki, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer, and Chief Director of Overseas Sales.

“ASEAN is a key market for our stylish and reliable cars and motorcycles, and we believe that our sponsorship of the AFF Suzuki Cup will continue to reinforce our brand values and provide an important platform to generate tremendous visibility and exposure for our brand and its products across this region. We also wish to thank the AFF for continuing to grow this event from strength to strength,” added Suzuki.

“We are delighted that the ASEAN Football Federation will be continuing to work together with Suzuki as our title sponsor for the AFF Cup 2010. We welcome Suzuki’s continued commitment to ASEAN’s best national team football competition and with their support we can continue to develop the beautiful game in the region,” said HE Tengku Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ahmad Rithaudeen, President of the ASEAN Football Federation

“The popularity and strength of the AFF Suzuki Cup has continued to grow since its conception and we will be making sure that this edition of the tournament will be the best yet,” he added.

The agreement was sealed by the Singapore-based World Sport Group, the exclusive marketing partners of the ASEAN Football Federation and organizers of the AFF Suzuki Cup.

“Suzuki’s partnership will be a key driving force behind the continued growth and success of this competition. We are also confident that in turn, this event will deliver the brand’s broader marketing and sponsorship goals in the region,” said Ian Mathie, Senior Vice-President, Football – South Asia, ASEAN and Australia.

The top two teams from a qualifying round to be held from October 22nd to 30th this year in Vientiane, Laos will join the top six seeded ASEAN nations – Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - to make up the final field of eight nations.

The official draw will be held in Hanoi on September 15th. The semi-final and final matches will be played on a home and away format. All games will be broadcast on ESPN Star Sports and on terrestrial stations across the region.