Kuala Lumpur 2017 seals first non-ASEAN partner

Japanese food and chemical corporation Ajinomoto has agreed a deal to sponsor the 2017 Southeast Asian Games multi-sport event, which will be staged in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Ajinomoto will serve as a platinum sponsor of the Games, which will run from August 19-31, along with the following Para Games. Ajinomoto becomes the first company from outside of the ASEAN region to sponsor the events.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but Kuala Lumpur 2017 confirmed in a statement that Ajinomoto has provided the “biggest cash contribution thus far” out of all the event’s sponsors.

Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister, YB Encik Khairy Jamaluddin, said: “This is indeed a special commitment by Ajinomoto as it became the first company from outside ASEAN region to commit as platinum sponsor of the Games. This is a major success for MASOC (the Malaysian Organising Committee) and I hope more giant companies will step up and join the Games.”

MASOC sponsorship initiatives have so far raised 77 per cent of the overall RM80m (€17m/$18m) cash and value in kind sponsorship target.

Khairy added: “To date, our cash sponsorship stands at RM18.05m out of the RM30m target, while for product or services sponsorship, a sum of RM43.9m has been pledged, which is 88 per cent of the RM50m target.

“Of the overall RM80m target, we have now achieved 77 per cent…and this includes the amount pledged by a few other companies, announcements for which will be made soon. I believe we’re on the right track and able to achieve our target in two or three months’ time. This is due to the current economic challenges.”

Ajinomoto joins Telekom Malaysia, NAZA and FBT as platinum sponsors of the Games, which will feature 38 sports and 405 events.