Maxis to sponsor 2006 World Cup

Maxis to sponsor 2006 World Cup

KUALA LUMPUR: Top mobile operator Maxis Communications said on Wednesday it will sponsor live transmissions in Malaysia of all the 64 World Cup soccer matches to be played in Germany in 2006 at a cost of 60 million ringgit (US$16 million).

"We at Maxis are very excited about our 2006 FIFA World Cup sponsorship because of soccer's universal and timeless appeal across race, age and gender.

"Being associated with the world's greatest tournament and making it accessible to all Malaysians is part of our obligation to our customers and the Malaysian public in general," Edward Ying, Maxis chief operating officer was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

The public can view the matches through a sister company, cable television operator Astro, state-owned television company RTM and private operator NTV7.

Maxis, controlled by tycoon Ananda Krishnan, is Malaysia's premier telecommunications company providing voice and data services. -- AFP