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Molten official basketball for Beijing, also welcomes Basketball Ireland
Molten, the world's leading manufacturer of balls and sports equipment, has announced that the Molten GL7/GL6 basketball (men/women models) has been chosen by FIBA (International Basketball Federation) as the official basketball for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and that production of these basketballs has already commenced at Molten's brand new Chinese factory established in Jiaxing, 90km south west of Shanghai.
Mr. Tamiaki, Molten Corporation President, said: "I am very pleased that our basketball has been chosen for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the first Olympics ever to be held in China, and to announce that the official Olympic basketball is to be printed with the Beijing Olympic Games logo. I am sure our unique basketball will be a huge hit with all the international players taking part in the Games.
"As well as being awarded this prestigious honor, I am also delighted to announce that we have already begun manufacturing the selected Molten GL7/GL6 basketballs in our brand new, high-tech manufacturing plant in Jiaxing, as part of our strategic push into China and hope that our new ventures will benefit not only Molten, but also the Chinese community and their sportsmen and women."
Meanwhile, Basketball Ireland is the latest federation to join Molten's elite club in Europe by appointing the unique, Molten 12-panel G-Series basketball as its official ball for the next four seasons, commencing August 2008. Basketball Ireland follows the lead of a range of federations in Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey, all of which have selected Molten's G-series basketball as their exclusive, official match ball.
Molten has also agreed to sponsor clothing for all Basketball Ireland's referees and table officials officiating at Super League Games from this September.
The Molten G-series basketball is to be launched in Ireland this coming August at the new Emerald Hoops International series which is taking place in Dublin's National Basketball Arena, featuring international teams from Iceland, Poland and Notre Dame, one of the top American College Basketball teams.
Debbie Massey, chief executive of Basketball Ireland commented: "We are pleased to have appointed Molten as one of our partners. Molten really understands the game of basketball at all levels and has promised to support us in a number of ways which will be of great benefit to us and will also assist us in promoting basketball to a higher level in Ireland in the lead up to the Olympics.
