MAS Holdings boost Sri Lanka athletes
Sri Lanka’s leading high performance sportswear manufacturer, MAS Holdings, have come aboard to foster the country’s track and field athletes, by revealing a concrete five-year partnership with Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA). Accordingly, Bodyline (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of MAS Holdings, will serve as the official clothing partner for Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) from this year, through to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
MAS Holdings, a world renowned manufacturer of garments and clothing, has previously hit the limelight with their near-two-decade association with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as its official clothing partner up until the beginning of this year. MAS has been closely associating with multiple sports, such as boxing, volleyball and even took the initiative to popularise fencing, an Olympic sport, in the country.
“These sort of sponsorships are nothing new to us at MAS, a reputed establishment with a history of over 35 years. We really wanted to focus on Sri Lanka athletics, which was relatively not as it was in the present day. We want to be able to foster the youth, the sport and beyond to help the country as well.
Dinesh de Silva, the CEO of Bodyline (3rd R), presents the official game day kit to women's javelin thrower Dilhani Lekamge (3rd L) in the presence of (from left) Saman Kumara Gunawardena (Secretary, SLA), Maj. Gen. Palitha 1Fernando (President, SLA), Dilshan Mohamed (Product Transformation Officer, MAS Holdings) and Rajitha Jayasuriya (Director of Corporate Affairs and Group Legal, MAS Holdings)
That has always been the motive of MAS Holdings,” stated Rajitha Jayasuriya, Director of Corporate Affairs and Group Legal at MAS Holdings.
MAS Holdings have been associating with SLA since 2021, initially coming in as clothing providers for individual athletes upon personal requests made by several coaches and officials. But the country’s leading clothing manufacturer propped up its commitment as months and years went by, becoming the official clothing provider of Sri Lankan athletes at many international events.
They have the privilege of associating with world renowned international sports brands in the past as well as the present, including providing clothing to famous athletes and sports teams. MAS Holdings were involved in manufacturing the playing kits of England and France at a World Cup, as well as the Indian ODI team and at present they have the privilege of developing and providing sports clothing to tennis stars such as Coco Gauff and Novac Djokovic.
“We have a massive innovation team who look at statistics, changes, muscle movement, muscle condition, environmental conditions of each athletes when these garments are made. The team interacted with the Sri Lankan athletes individually, who come to the plant and spend quite a bit of time with our team to make sure the garments are made specifically made for them,” Jayasuriya provided a brief insight of the process, while hinting that MAS Holdings has a bigger and broader plan for athletics in Sri Lanka.
Since MAS Holdings came on board, according to information provided by Maj. Gen. (Retd) Palitha Fernando, Sri Lankan athletes have bagged nearly 40 international medals, broken many national records and claimed a few regional records, while making progress as a nation to be reckoned with in world athletics.
“During these achievements, I’m sure MAS Holdings could hold a greater portion of honour as their sportswear have helped enhance our athletes’ performances. Their team’s collaboration with our athletes and the dedication has been really heartwarming and encouraging. Olympic success requires immense dedication and rigorous training. To achieve peak performance, it is also critical that our athletes are supported with the right gear and clothing throughout their training. The extended commitment by MAS Holdings provides nothing but true encouragement to our talented athletes,” Maj. Gen. Fernando stated.
The event, where the partnership between SLA and MAS Holdings was held on Thursday at the National Olympic Committee (NOC) auditorium in Colombo in the presence of officials from entities. Through the partnership, MAS Bodyline will provide Sri Lankan track and field athletes with advanced kits integrating the company’s advanced expertise in apparel tech and high performance sportswear.
“Seeing Sri Lankan athletes shine at global stage, seeing them break records and bring medals, is the biggest reward for us at MAS Holdings. Knowing the fact that they are training and performing in our clothing we make is remarkable, and MAS, being able to give a little push to their medal ambitions, is a fact that makes all of us at MAS proud,” Dilshan Mohamed, the Product Transformation Officer of MAS Holdings, stated.
“We cover the full range of attire for athletes, from training and game day kits including clothing for practices, warm up and play, to post-event award ceremonies and press conferences. The game day kits are made of moisture-wicking, light, breathable fabric to enhance comfort and performance,” he added.
“As a manufacturer of performance wear for the world’s leading sports brands, we have the technology, capability, and expertise to offer the Sri Lankan athletes high-quality clothing. They are also part of Bodyline’s ‘runner-to-runner’ programme where we make product improvements based on athlete insights and feedback. In turn, the athletes benefit from wearing high-quality products made through collaborative research,” he added.
In addition
The agreement which is extendable up to 10 years, was signed by SLA President Maj. Gen. Fernando and Dinesh de Silva, the CEO of Bodyline in the presence of MAS Holdings Director of Corporate Affairs and Group Legal, Rajitha Jayasuriya, Dilshan Mohamed, the Product Transformation Officer of MAS Holdings and Saman Kumara Gunawardena, the Secretary of SLA.