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THE UNSUNG HERO SPORTS
I was really quite excited about meeting Bob. So much so in fact, that no provision was made on the telephone for how we might even recognise each other in the dimly lit restaurant. For you see, this is the first time that Molten has ever spoken to the press, and SGB UK is delighted to be telling the story.
Normally bustling with a haze of 'suits' in the lunchtime rush, today my bar of choice was eerily quiet.When a fairly unassuming figure arrived at the door with a Molten bag securely strapped to his shoulder, the bag plainly told me that I had my man! It soon became clear, however, that this was to be no straightforward interview - either I hadn't done my research, or the man behind the company was even more of an enigma than I imagined…
“Tell me about yourself”, I asked Bob once we had got all the usual introductions out of the way. “Back in the 80's I was manager of the British Olympic basketball team. I also owned and coached the Birmingham Bullets”. So far, so good - a man who understands the sport that spawned the product. Exactly what any journalist wants to hear when penning an interview in the trade press!
Interestingly however, our Molten man also owns the eponymous Bob Hope TV productions, which, in the beginning covered minority sports from basketball to netball, junior golf to tennis. His first ever event for the BBC was the European Water Skiing Championships, then came frontline basketball for Channel 4 and Sky. Fired by an unadulterated passion for real sport, Bob set out to make this company a success, bringing marginalised sports into the mainstream to boot, with the help of expert freelancers. The world netball championships and European gymnastics soon followed.
It wasn't always quite so glamourous though. Back in the day, Bob only earned a small salary as a basketball coach. He made his money by winning games. Bob's “Recruit the best and let them play” philosophy was one he applied on and off the court. So it's perhaps no surprise that he was audacious enough to phone the editor of Grandstand to recruit him for a round of golf: “I'll pick you up from your house, take you to the golf course and bring you back,” Bob insisted. Some of the best business deals of all time have been sealed on a golf course, so Bob knew he was onto a winner. And he didn't give up when this particular editor, who shall remain nameless, questioned his objective and flatly declined, stating that standard golf invites were ten a penny in his office.
Undeterred, Bob went all out to make this an invite he couldn't refuse: “I'll be in a helicopter,” he said. Said Editor had a change of heart and agreed, promptly asking if he could bring a guest. That guest was Des Lynam, and ever since that very day there has been basketball on national television.“With no background in journalism or TV, how did you do it?” I asked perhaps quite naively, since Bob replied simply: “I just put it to them:Why is there no basketball on TV? Let me cover it!”And cover it he did. Today basketball is the third most played sport, even beating rugby, and Bob's being so proactive no doubt played a part in this.
Bob Hope TV productions continued in this innovative vein. It recruited the best, said Bob, and let them work. Then, four years ago Bob was invited to Tokyo to be executive producer for the televisation of the Toyota Cup. “I remember Real Madrid were playing Olimpia Asuncion from Paraguay. Then, after the game I was invited to a party held by FIFA. There I met a man named Mr Tamiaki, president of the Molten Corporation, and the manufacturer of the Molten Olympic basketball,” explained Bob. Mr Tamiaki said: “We have no presence or brand awareness in the UK market”, to which Bob confidently replied: “You do now!”And so,Molten Sports was born. Bob has the franchise for the distribution ofMolten products under the banner ofMolten Sports in the UK and Ireland.
The basketball
The Molten G-series basketball heralded a major step forward for the company when it was released onto the market in 2004. For generations basketballs had been manufactured with 8 panels, but Molten's design, created by the Italian Giugiaro Design Team, features 12 panels and is packed with technology designed to enhance player performance. The FIBA Approval (International basketball Federation) of the Molten basketball took effect on September 1, 2004 and the ball is to be used in all FIBA competitions worldwide up to 2016.
Whilst the characteristic panels and seams of the traditional basketball remain, the new design features twelve panels instead of the usual eight. In addition the look of the ball has changed, with the traditional one colour becoming two brands of colour - orange and light brown - which stretch around the ball and enhance visibility and brand recognition.
The new Molten G-Series helps players attain new levels of performance in all areas including dribbling, passing or shooting. Molten has applied the new design to its entire range of basketballs from top of the range genuine leather balls to composite leather and rubber balls. The Molten Gseries is available in all sizes including size 7 for men, size 6 for women and size 5 for juniors.
Indeed, the G-Series ball has proved so popular it is now the official match ball for the British professional league (BBL) and is also the official game ball for all Great Britain International matches up to the London Olympics; while the size 5 has become the official ball for Mini-Basketball England. Internationally, the Molten basketball has been the Official Game Ball of the Olympic Games since 1984 and the G-Series will be the official game ball for the 2008 and 2012 Olympics in Beijing and London. It has also been the Official Game Ball of the World Championships since 1982.
The Soccer Ball
I had heard a whisper within the trade that the FIFA approved Molten ACENTEC ball had been tested by David Beckham himself and may be connected with the World Cup. I asked Bob if there was any truth in the rumour. “The relationship between Molten and Adidas is indeed a close one”, he said,”with all Adidas products in Japan being distributed by Molten.”
Adidas had the contract to supply the World Cup ball. Molten, spying a great business opportunity, went to Adidas with its new ACENTEC technology ball and agreed a 50/50 deal on its patent. So Molten really is the little known manufacturer of the Adidas ‘Teamgeist’World Cup ball . But less of the politics, more about the ball…
The ACENTEC ball replaces traditional hand-sewing with a cross-fusion bonding technique, eliminating quality variations. The result is a smooth, seamless and even surface with constant and consistent pressure to all 32 panels of the ball, making for a rounder ball, a smoother surface and better balance. In addition, the design virtually eliminates any water absorption and so the weight of the ball does not increase in wet weather conditions. This means, claims the company, that the ACENTEC ball affords the player greater control with the ball going where the player wants it to go.
The Molten ACENTEC ball is approved by FIFA and many European clubs are already using the Molten ACENTEC Vantaggio including A.C Chievo Verona in Italy and FSV Mainz 05 and Almannia Aachen in Germany to name but a few. The professional match ball is available in size 5 only.However, the Vantaggio soccer ball range is also available in polyurethane and PVC, either hand-stitched, laminated or machine-stitched in sizes 5,4 and 3.
