Molten beyond basketball

There’s no question that Molten is a leading basketball brand all over the world. It’s the official FIBA basketball used at the World Championships and Olympics. In the Philippines, it’s the basketball of choice in the PBA, PBA D-League and NCAA. But Sonia Trading managing director Anil Buxani said the other day Molten isn’t just about basketball.

“Of course, it’s our honor that Molten has been used in Olympic basketball since 1984 and in the World Championships the past 25 years,” said Buxani. “Now, in the Philippines, we’re taking it a step further by moving into football where Molten is also an acknowledged world leader. We’re not slowing down in basketball, we’re only stepping up in football.”

Buxani said Molten, a Japanese brand, was recently named the official football of the Philippine Azkals. “Through the years, Molten has managed to provide good product technology for good performance,” said Buxani. “The relationship between the brand and the Azkals evolved and now, Molten has officially partnered with the national team to produce the exclusive Molten football with the Azkals logo.”

The new Molten Azkals football was launched at the Music Hall of the SM Mall of Asia in an event called “Football Kick-Off Essential” last April. The activity was set up for kids within the age range of 6 to 16 with Azkal players conducting clinics in dribbling, ballhandling, conditioning and scoring goals. With support from the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), the launch welcomed the participation of the Payatas football club led by British coach Roy Moore. It was Moore who established the Fairplay For All Foundation two years ago with another British native Naomi Tomlinson. The foundation’s first undertaking was to assemble 80 kids to play football on a barangay basketball court in Payatas, known as the capital city’s dumpsite. From that first activity has emerged a football club which Moore and Tomlinson employs to teach kids the values of sports and education.

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“It was an unbelievable activity,” said Buxani. “Everyone pitched in to make it an unforgettable event for the kids. A donor provided a 20x25 meter artificial grass turf which was used as a playing field at the Music Hall. The Mall of Asia management allowed the use of the Music Hall from 10 a.m. to past 3 p.m. We brought in 60 kids, including some walk-ins, split into six groups of 10 for the clinics with 16 representatives from the Azkals team headed by conditioning coach Joseph Malinay. We set up four goals, supplied 20 balls which were all donated later to Payatas and had several cones laid out for the drills. The Payatas kids were thrilled when the Azkal players signed their footballs.”

Among the Azkal players who attended the event were James Younghusband, Chieffy Caligdong, Misagh Bahadoran, Carli de Murga and Marwin and Marvin Angeles. “We coordinated the participation of the Azkals with team manager Dan Palami who was extremely cooperative,” said Buxani. “We’re grateful to the Azkals for making this event truly memorable especially to the Payatas kids.”

About 25 of the 60 participating kids came from Payatas, both in and out-of-school youth. One of the smallest and best players in the clinics was a Payatas kid named Marcus who stood out because not only of his skills but also of his red socks. “The SM Group gave its 100 percent support with the Toy Kingdom mobilized to serve as the center to invite kids to join the Azkals mini-camp,” said Buxani. “Toy Kingdom was the exclusive retailer of Molten footballs until last May 31 and by June 15, the footballs will be available in major stores all over the country.”

The Molten Azkals football comes in three models. The FIFA-quality premier all-leather Vantaggio football sells for P2,270 while the replica model using synthetic leather sells for P949.75. The rubber model sells for P399.75. The three models carry the distinct Azkals logo. 

Buxani explained that the hand cross-stitched Molten football uses a “carcass” inner structure to provide a low bounce and a four-ply lamination with foam. “We’re very proud of the features of the Molten football,” he said. “Our top-of-the-line model is approved by FIFA. Our goal is to give color to the sport in line with Molten’s slogan ‘For The Real Game.’”

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Buxani said since the United Football League (UFL) started in 2009, Molten has been an active player in the local game. “Our commitment to football began with the UFL and continues with the Azkals,” said Buxani. “For the past years, Sonia Trading has sponsored the country’s premier sports leagues and associations. Aside from the Azkals and the UFL, Molten also partners with the PBA, SBP, NCAA and WNCAA. We’re also discussing at the moment ways to support the PFF’s grassroots development program with PFF president Nonong Araneta.”

Buxani said Sonia’s other leading sports brand Asics is also going strong in making available high-quality footwear, apparel and accessories to the Philippine market. Asics’ second exclusive store had its soft-opening at the corner of 7th Avenue and High Street in Global City a few weeks ago and is attracting droves of sports enthusiasts because of its facility of capturing different angles of a foot through a 3-D system. A full-time physical therapist is employed at the store to advise customers of what type of shoe to use based on the contour of their feet. The 130-square meter store boasts a staff of six, all of whom are runners. Asic’s first store is a 66-square meter spot in Greenbelt with a 2-D system and five staff.

“We’ve got a multi-sport wall at the Global City store,” said Buxani. “Different Asics shoes are in stock, varying from sport to sport like tennis, volleyball, running, cross-training and squash. Every month, we update our shoes in store so there’s always something new. There’s new technology being developed every season and we’re excited to bring the latest Asics shoes to the country. Very soon, we’ll be making an impact in the Philippines’ most popular sport.”