Melaka based MBC Kirin Basketball Club has inked a deal with its new sponsor and reaffirmed its ambition to vie for double titles in the national U20 and U23 Development League this year. The club has also committed to its long-term goal of training second- and third-tier players to funnel into the national team as well as investing more in training local coaches.
According to MBC Kirin head coach Guganeswaran Batumalai, the team has entered into a one-year sponsorship agreement with Supersports and will be striving to bring home the U20 and U23 titles to thank the sponsor for their trust and unconditional support.
The sponsorship launch ceremony was attended by head coach Guganeswaran, Managing Director of Supersports Alex Kwan, Director of Supersports Victor Chen, General Manager of MBC Kirin Kwaan Yoong Chye as well as three young promising U23 players Edward Siau, Chua Xin Zhi, and Lai Kok Weng.
Guganeswaran said that the team has no plans to compete in the professional league at this point and will instead focus on cultivating a new generation of talents to funnel into domestic teams. He hopes that the players will one day represent Malaysia and bring glory to the nation.
When asked about the team’s plan for this season, Guganeswaran remarked that the team is still anxiously awaiting the official announcement of the U20 and U23 competition schedule. He added that the team is looking forward to the competition as there is only so much that they can practice in training sessions and players need competition experience to hone their skills.
The head coach also revealed that MBC is planning a series of coach training programs to help more potential coaching talents to ease into the coaching field. The development of coaching standards will not only help teams grow but also discover more new talents and lead to the overall elevation of the sports in Malaysia.
