Molten, FIBA celebrate 40-year partnership

MIES (Switzerland) - Molten and FIBA have enjoyed 40 successful years of a partnership that has helped international basketball produce unforgettable moments and scale new heights.

Using a combination of innovative technology and superior craftsmanship, Molten always provides top of the line basketballs for players around the globe and the world's elite basketball stars across all FIBA events.

Molten basketballs made their debut at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 1982 in Colombia.

 
Its most recent innovation was the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 basketball, which was developed following extensive testing and using highly-valuable and crucial input of players through the support of FIBA. The end result was a basketball with markedly improved control and grip performance, as well as an authentic texture, and players' feedback was unanimously positive.

"We are proud to collaborate to produce exclusively branded game balls for FIBA's national team competitions that adorn a unique design that is in line with the brand identity of the competition," said Molten CEO and President, Kiyo Tamiaki.

"Molten always seeks to innovate and achieve excellence and has worked closely with FIBA to achieve this."

The brand statement of Molten is 'For the real game', which sums up the essence of its partnership with FIBA. It also encapsulates the joint conviction of both that the real game happens only when impeccable balls enable players to reach their full performance and push performance to the limit.

What is also notable about Molten of late is that it supports FIBA's strategic pillar in developing the woman's game through a unique campaign in Australia, where the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 is being staged later this year.

 

The Molten Ball Relay will involve young girls from 20 clubs across the country to present good luck messages from Australians to the teams participating at the 12-team competition, as well as a Female Local Champions program that will showcase women within the community that are contributing to the development of the women's game.

"Molten has always set out to be innovative and to attain excellence, and has been working closely with us for 40 years to achieve this," said FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis.

"As FIBA's longest-standing partner, they have always been an important and valuable member of the FIBA Family. Molten basketballs are a crucial element for us as we attempt to take the game to new heights. I thank them for their commitment to basketball and to FIBA."

Molten and FIBA marked the 40-year anniversary of their partnership last month at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland.

FIBA