Kuala lumpur: Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad has strengthened its support for national sports development after signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the National Sports Council (MSN) to become its Official Food Partner. The MoA was signed by Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad chief executive officer Daisaku Wadami and MSN director-general Jefri Ngadirin, marking the start of a strategic collaboration to enhance support for the nutritional needs of national athletes.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Wadami highlighted that the partnership reflected Ajinomoto's commitment to contributing to sports development through its expertise in nutrition. The support will be provided through Victory Project Malaysia, which includes the sports nutrition programme Winning Meals Kachimeshi, or 'Champion Meals', and the aminoVITAL sports nutrition product.

"We hope to play a role in supporting national athletes while promoting awareness of the importance of balanced nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle and preparation for better performance, based on Ajinomoto's expertise in AminoScience," Wadami stated at the MoA signing ceremony at MSN Bukit Jalil.

The collaboration will focus on providing nutritional support for national athletes, an important component in their preparation, recovery, and efforts to improve performance at the highest level. Wadami also expressed his appreciation to national athletes for their dedication and commitment, while wishing success to the Malaysian contingent competing at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games from Sept 19 to Oct 4.

"As a Japanese citizen working in Malaysia, I am happy to see our two countries united through sports. Let us work together to nurture champions for Malaysia's future," he added.

Meanwhile, Jefri commented on the significant role nutrition plays in ensuring athletes receive comprehensive support for training and competition at the highest level. "In high-performance sports development, nutrition is a key element in athlete preparation, recovery, and performance," Jefri said. He emphasized that MSN views this collaboration with Ajinomoto Malaysia as an added value in creating a conducive environment for high-performance development.

Jefri further noted that Ajinomoto Group's experience and expertise in nutrition would benefit national athletes, who remain MSN's priority in every initiative. The collaboration began with the company's support for MSN's breaking of fast event last year before being further expanded, leading to the signing of the MoA.