Furthering its foray into the world of motorsports, NAZA World has announced its sponsorship of team PETRONAS Raceline Malaysia in the Moto2 class of the 2014 World Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP). At a press conference held in NAZA Automall Petaling Jaya today, NAZA World said that the team and its 20 year-old rider, Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah (Hafizh), would be sponsored for a full season.
Present at the press conference were En Nik Danial Nik Mahmood, Vice President of NAZA Two Wheel Division; En Mohd Rishalizam Mohd Noor, Head of Company, NAZA Bikes Sdn Bhd; En Mohd Azhan Shafriman Bin Hanif, Manager of the Alliance Management, Group Strategic Communication Division, Petronas and Mr Barry Leong, manager of team PETRONAS Raceline Malaysia.
“Hafizh Syahrin is national icon and a great role model to many young Malaysians out there. Through our sponsorship of the Petronas Raceline Malaysia team we aim to cement the NAZA Group of Companies’ role in promoting a healthy sporting culture and lifestyle among the youth in the country,” said Datuk Wira HJ SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin, NAZA Group of Companies Joint Group Executive Chairman.
“There is a huge potential for motorsports to grow in Malaysia, already being the third largest spectator event in Asia – following football and badminton. In order to advance one step closer to a professional career in the MotoGP, the local talents warrant some support from the corporate sector in Malaysia and that is why NAZA World decided to get involved and create more opportunities for our budding young sportsmen. It is important for the corporate sector to play a role in encouraging and nurturing local talents,” added Datuk Wira HJ SM Faisal.
Recognizing Hafizh’s talent and potential to perform well on an international platform such as the Moto2, NAZA World is providing him with this incredible opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream of racing for a whole season and to do Malaysia proud.
The 2014 MotoGP season, which recently kicked off in Qatar, saw Hafizh finishing in at a respectable 15th position. His recent performance at the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar shows him to be an impressive, up-and-coming rider and standout contender in this year’s racing championship.
In recent years, the NAZA Group has worked closely with the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia to introduce ‘sports tourism’. This includes providing support for local sporting events such as the Jelajah 1Malaysia cycling race 2011, International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) World Cup 2011 and Chelsea Asia Tour 2011, the National Sports Council and the National Dive Team in their preparation of the 2016 RIO Olympics.
NAZA has also consistently supported and sponsored a variety of motorsport talents, such as the NAZA Racing Team (NRT) which participated in the Ferrari 458 Challenge 2011 and the NAZA Nexus Racing Team in the Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER) 2013. By sponsoring team PETRONAS Raceline Malaysia, NAZA reaffirms its great appreciation of local/home-grown sporting talents and its commitment to aiding in the development of a stronger Malaysian presence in the international motorsports scene.
“We strongly believe that Hafizh can become an ambassador to the youth, especially to the motorcyclists in Malaysia, and even worldwide. His commitment and determination have steered him from racing pocket bikes to competing in the Moto2 with the best riders of this sport in the international arena. He is shining proof that if we give our full commitment to doing what we’re most passionate about, we can manifest our dreams. That is the secret of success in life – do what you love and love what you do. So, our motive for providing our support to Hafizh and the Petronas Raceline Malaysia team goes beyond merely aiding the development of local talent, it is also to enable Hafizh to be an advocate for living a healthy, active lifestyle and to inspire youth to pursue their dreams.” added Datuk Wira.
The Petronas Raceline Malaysia team also consists of highly skilled local technicians supported by international technicians to develop the team’s bike and run the team. NAZA World’s sponsorship ensures the continuity of the team and will help the transfer of technology to local technicians that will eventually in the future, enable the development Malaysian indigenous racing bikes run by local technicians.
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