Japanese sports ball manufacturer Molten has signed up as the first official global partner of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation.
The three-year deal also sees Molten become the IWBF’s official ball partner, with the company to supply its GG7X and GG6X models for all world competitions and their zonal qualifying tournaments.
The deal will include a range of cross-promotional marketing initiatives to promote the Molten and IWBF brands. The partnership builds upon Molten’s existing relationship with the International Basketball Federation (Fiba).
IWBF president Ulf Mehrens said: “Over a number of years Fiba have been the provider of our game balls. We are very proud to have signed a new agreement which directly involves Molten and makes them the first global partner of IWBF.
“In Molten we have found a long-term and traditional partner who will not only ensure we have the best basketballs for our main world competitions and zonal qualification tournaments but will also boost our efforts in increasing the exposure of the sport worldwide. I’d like to thank Fiba for their role in the agreement and their overall support.”
Patrick Baumann, Fiba secretary general, added: “In recent years, Fiba and IWBF have enjoyed an increased cooperation. The relationship is going from strength to strength, to the extent that one of our sport’s key stakeholders is able to forge a partnership all of its own with our long-standing partner of more than 30 years. This is a momentous occasion for IWBF, Fiba and Molten.”
The partnership begins with the 2018 World Championships in Hamburg, Germany this August.