KUALA LUMPUR (October 4, 2016):The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) announced today that Global Direct Selling Company, QNET will be the title sponsor for the 4thAsian Men’s Champions Trophy which will be held from Oct 20-30 in Kuantan.

QNET has pledged a sponsorship of RM500,000 towards the tournament which will now be known as QNET 4th Asian Men’s Champions Trophy 2016. This will be the first time the Asian Champions Trophy will have a title sponsor since its inception six years ago.

The Asian Men’s Champions Trophy features the Asian Games top six teams competing in a round robin format, and will feature Pakistan, India, Malaysia, China, Japan and Korea in its fourth edition. Pakistan and India have so far been the most successful teams in Asian Hockey Champions Trophy with Pakistan bringing home the trophy in both 2012 and 2013, while India was the inaugural winner in 2011. The Malaysians finished third in the last three editions.

The tournament was first held in Ordos, China in 2011 followed by Doha, Qatar (2012) and Kakamigahara, Japan in 2013.

QNET’s Director for Communications, Mr. Kuna Senathirajah said: “I would like to thank AHF and Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) for giving us the opportunity to be a part of an exclusive event. We feel proud and honored to be the title sponsor for the prestigious Asian Men’s Champions Trophy.”

QNET, a leading global direct selling company, has had long and successful stints in renowned sports like Formula One and Football. Formerly partners of Marussia F1 Racing Team, the company is now official direct selling partner of Manchester City Football Club, who are leading the English Premier league at the moment.

“The Asian Champions Trophy undoubtedly provides us the honor to showcase world class hockey in front of the famously passionate Malaysian fans, and to work closely with the Malaysian Hockey Confederation. It’s an honor to be part of one of Asia’s most prestigious events. Regionally, hockey is seen as a key sport, one that advocates unity and friendship. As such, we feel the tournament is not merely a competition of ability, but a platform to build strong relationships between countries in the Asian region. We aspire to do our best to making this tournament a great success together with MHC.

Mr. Kuna also noted that QNET is looking forward to a tournament that showcases the very best of Asian hockey.

“We are delighted to be able to work with MHC to further promote the sport. 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,” added Kuna.

Malaysian Hockey Confederation President Dato’ Seri Subahan Kamal said:“We are equally honored to have a reputable company such as QNET, sponsor the Asian Champions Trophy for the first time since its inception. Having corporate companies such as QNET involved in hockey is good for the sport.”

The opening day matches on Oct 20 will see Malaysia play defending champions Pakistan followed by India opening its campaign against Japan.