KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 ― The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) today sealed its biggest sponsorship deal in history by inking a three-year agreement with Petronas and its subsidiary Petronas Dagangan Berhad (PDB).

The partnership with the nation’s two well-known brands is targeted to further boost the performance of Malaysian badminton by enhancing the training and preparation of national shuttlers, especially ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

BAM’s overall development programmes will also benefit from the partnership.

As part of the deal, Petronas’ logo will be prominently positioned on the national team jerseys beginning at the 2022 All England Championships scheduled from March 16-20.

Petronas will also become the title sponsor of the Malaysia Open in June while the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara here is also now known as Petronas ABM.

“This is the biggest sponsorship since the establishment of BAM,” said BAM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria without disclosing the value of sponsorship at a press conference after the Partnership Agreement Signing Ceremony at ABM.

“This is a historic day. For us (BAM) it’s a piece of shattering news, but in a good way. We are very lucky to have Petronas with us. This sponsorship will enable us to remain focused on our planning towards Paris 2024,” he added.

The sponsorship agreement was signed by Mohamad Norza and PDB managing director and chief executive officer Azrul Osman Rani.

Azrul said Petronas and PDB are proud to be associated with BAM, joining them in their journey to elevate Malaysian badminton at all levels.

“As a company committed to energising Malaysia, we share the association’s resolve towards a sustained and continuous development of the sport in line with their vision to consistently triumph at the world stage,” he said.

In April last year, BAM signed a five-year sponsorship deal with well-known international badminton brand Yonex worth RM55 million, excluding bonuses.

In 2015, BAM signed a sponsorship deal worth RM60 million for a six-year period with Taiwan sports goods supplier Victor. ― Bernama