Asian Champions Trophy signs up first title sponsor

Direct selling company QNet has agreed a deal to become the title sponsor of this year’s men’s Asian Champions Trophy national team hockey tournament.

The event, which takes place in Kuantan, Malaysia later this month, will officially be titled the QNet Men’s Asian Champions Trophy. It will mark the first time the tournament has had a title sponsor since its inception in 2011.

The Asian Hockey Federation confirmed that QNet would provide a sponsorship package of RM500,000 (€108,000/$120,000) to the tournament.

Kuna Senathirajah, director of communications at QNet, said: “We are aware that support from corporations is vital and will facilitate the ongoing efforts to raise the standards in hockey and expand the community and outreach.

“Going forward we hope that more corporations will view sports, including hockey, as a key platform to drive brand awareness and equity.”

This year’s Asian Champions Trophy features Pakistan, India, Malaysia, China, Japan and Korea. The tournament will take place from October 20-30.

Pakistan is the defending champion, having won the most recent edition of the event in Kakamigahara, Japan in 2013.