May 7, 2018
PR61-S22

Molten to Supply the Official Match Ball
Designed Exclusively for the Asian Football Confederation

Molten Corporation (headquarters: Hiroshima, Japan; president & CEO: Kiyo Tamiaki), a manufacturerof competition-quality sports balls and equipment, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)(headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; president: Shaikh Salman Al Khalifa) have announced a newpartnership agreement for Molten to become an official match ball supplier of the football matches
hosted by the AFC.
Based on the agreement, starting with the AFC Asian Cup scheduled to start on January 5, 2019 in UAE,molten will supply official match balls for the tournament as well as the AFC Cup, men’s and women’s
youth events at the national team level, and futsal events. This will be the first time that Molten has
provided an official match ball for the AFC’s football matches.
Shaikh Salman Al Khalifa, the AFC President said: "We are delighted to have Molten as the official matchball supplier of AFC’s national and club competitions. It is a significant partnership as it not only
showcases Asia’s leading competitions but also one of the world’s leading Asian ball manufacturers. We
are excited to have teamed up with the supplier of world-class footballs, and look forward to seeing thepartnership grow in line with our leading competitions.”
Kiyo Tamiaki, President and CEO of Molten Corporation said: "At Molten, we continuously strive toproduce the absolute best-in-quality sports equipment through innovative technology. Through this newpartnership, we are committed to working hand in hand with the AFC to provide football of the highest
quality to support the growth and development of football in Asia.”

1/3■ About the AFC Asian Cup Official Match Ball
Molten will supply match balls designed specially for the AFC Asian Cuputilizing the basic design of Molten’s flagship model Vantaggio 5000 Premierfootball.
Molten’s unique thermal bonding technology has realized excellent sphericity
and ultra-low water absorption. The dimples on the surface reduce wobbles
in the ball trajectory that result from air resistance when the ball is in the air.
The design features the identity colors of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup logo,green, red and black and the base pattern is inspired by the logo design.
[Specifications]
Construction: ACENTEC / Material: synthetic leather / Size: 5 / Made in Thailand*Scheduled to be launched at the end of 2018
* The design and specifications are subject to change.

■ About Asian Football Confederation (AFC)The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of Asian football and one of the six
Confederations making up FIFA. Formed in 1954 in Manila on the sidelines of the second Asian Games,
the AFC was sanctioned by FIFA in Berne, Switzerland. The AFC is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia and consists of 46 Member Associations and one Associate Member Association (The NorthernMariana Islands). The AFC is responsible for running football in Asia. Among its various responsibilities are:regulating the game, drafting new laws to improve the sport, implementing the law, boosting grassroots andyouth football, and conducting major competitions.

■ About the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019
The AFC Asian Cup is the AFC’s flagship national team competition. Played every fouryears, the 2015 edition in Australia was a resounding success, breaking all previous
TV-viewership, attendance and social media records.
Scheduled to take place from January 5 to February 1, 2019, the AFC Asian Cup UAE
2019TM promises to take the competition to new heights, as it is extended from 16 to24 teams. The expansion into a truly continent-wide competition will enforce the AFC
Asian Cup brand throughout Asia. With more countries involved and more fans engaged, brand recognition
will increase significantly all over Asia.

■ About Molten
Molten, a manufacturer of balls and sports equipment, has been making and marketing footballs,basketballs, handballs, and volleyballs, of uncompromising quality since 1958. Molten continues to raise
global standards, supplying the official game balls and sports equipment for major leagues, teams andinternational tournaments around the world.
For further information, please visit www.molten.co.jp/sports/en/■ For the real game
Molten's brand statement, "For the real game", encapsulates what we hope to accomplish through ourproducts and activities. It is our conviction that the real game happens only when impeccable balls andsports equipment enable athletes to realize their full potential and maximize performance.

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■ Product image data (JPEG) is also available
Contact: Ryo Kurahashi
International Market Sales & Marketing Department
Sports Division
Molten Corporation
Tel: (+81-3)3625-7648
Fax: (+81-3)3625-7738

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