Shah Alam, 28 May 2012 – Carlsberg Malaysia’s subsidiary Luen Heng F&B Sdn. Bhd. (LHFB), the sole importer and distributor of Budweiser, celebrates the third placing victory with eight Malaysian Bud Cup futsal players recently.

The Malaysian futsal team beat the Argentinean team with a stunning 3-1 score, giving them a once in a lifetime moment to play the semi finals at the prestigious Wembley Stadium, one of the famous football stadium and the second largest stadium in Europe.

Spearheading the team was LHFB General Manager Kenneth Soh alongside their coach Datuk Soh Chin Ann, Malaysian footballer great back in the 60s. The eight members comprising of employees, customers and consumers were selected from various channels including at the Bud Cup 6v6 Futsal Challenge held in March. The team captain was Roen Cian Nagapan (from The Hills Restaurant), consumers Hoo Chee Hoong and Lim Hong Guan (goalkeeper)., Carlsberg Malaysia’s employee Federick Lee was handpicked by Datuk Soh during a selection tryout and remaining members were, Alvin Chew Zhen Ming, Arunkumar M.Thanapale, Soh Chor Len and Stanley Bernard Stephen Samuel.

“The Malaysian Bud Cup team has made their home country proud by advancing to the semi finals from their strong fighting spirit on the field at the group stage. Through intensive training and coaching by our coach Datuk Soh, the team has transformed from a group of individual avid football fans into a team of united and enthusiastic footballers,” Kenneth commented.

This year, Lim Hong Guan, a former national footballer and Selangor state player was awarded the “Most Valuable Player” by Datuk Soh for his superb goalkeeping skills and display and thus qualifying him to play at the Bud Cup 6v6 2013 tournament next year.

“I wish to thank LHFB and Datuk Soh for giving me this chance to play for the team, and the opportunity of a lifetime to play at the Wembley Stadium was beyond my expectation. It was an unforgettable experience for me and winning the “The Most Valuable” player for the 2012 Bud Cup 6v6 was unexpected despite my age. I hope this win can spur many young Malaysians to achieve greater success on the football field.” said Lim Hong Guan upon receiving the “Most Valuable Player” award.

Kenneth added, “I am truly proud of the team’s overall achievement, who have made their way this far and proving that our players are in the stand of an excellent sportsmanship. With this, LHFB will continue the strong partnership with Budweiser in search of talented Malaysian footballers and promote healthy sportsmanship through the annual futsal challenge.”

About the FA

Sponsorship of The FA Cup is part of a wide-ranging sponsorship programme operated by The Football Association. It encompasses the five commercial assets of the governing body: the England national team, The FA Cup, Wembley Stadium, Football Development and St. George’s Park (National Football Centre). As a not-for-profit organisation, all surplus revenues generated from The FA’s commercial activities and re-invested back into football in England at all levels

Bud Cup History 

The Bud Cup started in 1998 and was part of Budweiser’s FIFA World Cup sponsorship platform as a marketing and promotional asset for local markets. The whole idea of the International 6 v 6 tournaments is to bring consumers together to celebrate their love of beer and their passion for football.