Kia Futsal With Soul Enters The Final Stages; Sneak Preview Of The Kia Soul

Bukit Jalil, June 11, 2010 – Naza Kia Sdn Bhd, the official distributor of Kia Motors vehicles in Malaysia, today launched the final rounds of the Kia Futsal With Soul tournament at Bukit Jalil. Honoring the event was Youth and Sports Minister, Y.B. Dato’ Ahmad Shabeery Cheek.

The final rounds of the Kia Futsal With Soul tournament will be played on June 12 and June 13 at Dewan Sri Putra, Bukit Jalil and the wining team of the tournament will be sent to represent Malaysia in Kia’s Champ Into the Arena 5-A-Side global finals in Johannesburg, South Africa on July 1.

“Kia Motors is an ‘exciting and enabling’ brand targeting young-at-heart and adventurous customers and today we celebrate the kickoff of the final rounds of the Kia Futsal With Soul tournament,” said Datuk Syed Hisham Syed Wazir, chief operating officer of Naza Kia.

A total of 13 teams will participate in the Kia Champ Into the Arena global finals in South Africa comprising of five teams from Africa and the Middle East, three teams from Asia and five teams from Europe.

Additionally, the winning team from Malaysia will be treated to a tour in Johannesburg and given tickets to watch the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal match on July 2 as well as RM10,000 in cash. The second-placed team in the tournament will receive RM5,000 in cash while the third and fourth-placed teams will receive RM3,000 in cash each.

The Kia Futsal With Soul tournament is part of Naza Kia’s ground activities in conjunction with the 2010 World Cup. For the final rounds of the tournament, a total of 16 teams comprising of four teams each from the earlier qualifying rounds in Penang, Malacca, Subang Jaya and Shah Alam will battle it out on June 12 to June 13 to clinch the top prize of representing Malaysia in the Kia Champ Into the Arena global finals.

In addition, the Kia Futsal With Soul tournament knockout stages will be broadcast live on Astro Arena on June 13.

The 16 teams are:

Penang - Daruk Ridzuan FC, Adaong FT, Yulkis FC and Team Backyard

Malacca – Bertam Ulu FC, Last Minute FC, Cipta FC, Solytudesz

Subang - Dani Playground, Dani Underground, Elitz, U R My Bro

Shah Alam - Samba FT, Red Galacticos, CFHM, Sarjana-Kalumpang FC

In conjunction with the tournament, Naza Kia will host a corporate charity tournament on June 12 and June 13. The participants for the tournament will include two teams from Naza Kia and one team each from RHB Insurance, Innity, Kurnia Insurance and Etiqa Insurance. Additionally, at the kickoff of the final rounds of the Kia Futsal With Soul, both Naza Kia and the Youth and Sports Ministry took part in a friendly charity futsal match.

Naza Kia has raised RM50,000 from both the corporate charity tournament and registration fees from the Kia Futsal With Soul tournament which will be donated to the National Cancer Society of Malaysia.

Kia Motors is FIFA’s official partner for the 2010 World Cup. The company began its involvement in football at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany alongside its sister company, Hyundai.

For the 2010 World Cup, Kia Motors selected the multiple award-winning Kia Soul as its official car for the tournament. The Kia Soul will be launched by Naza Kia in the near future and it was on display at the kickoff of the final rounds of the Kia Futsal With Soul tournament.

The Kia Soul was recently named among the 15 Best Family Cars for 2010 by leading automotive research site, Edmunds.com and Parents magazine. Labelled an urban passenger vehicle, the Kia Soul has been recognised internationally for its safety features, appealing styling and overall family-friendly features.

“The Kia Soul is a unique vehicle and combines a sporty appeal with a youthful radiance for an ultimate driving experience. In the near future, Naza Kia will launch this vehicle which has been a success in the United States,” Syed Hisham said.

The Kia Futsal With Soul tournament began on May 22 in Penang and Shah Alam followed by matches in Subang and Melaka on May 29 and May 30 respectively. In conjunction with the tournament, a dedicated website – <http://www.kiafutsalwithsoul.com/> www.kiafutsalwithsoul.com – was launched by Naza Kia.

In celebration of the final rounds of the Kia Futsal With Soul tournament, Naza Kia held a public viewing party for the opening match of the 2010 World Cup between South Africa and Mexico at the Dewan Sri Putra in Bukit Jalil.

About the author: Jay WM Wong Editor