PETALING JAYA: Not many Malaysian athletes get the chance to represent an international brand, let alone have a product designed in their name.
For sepak takraw player Mohd Azlan Alias, that rare opportunity has come in the form of his own signature shoes after he teamed up with Thai footwear brand Nanyang.
The brand, which has long been associated with sepak takraw, produced a special-edition line called AA5, combining Azlan’s initials with the No. 5 jersey he wears for the national team.
His trademark sunback kick has also been turned into a logo, with its silhouette featured on the side of the shoes.
Making it even more special, only 5,000 pairs were produced worldwide.
The shoes went on sale in March and Azlan said the response has exceeded his expectations, with most of the pairs snapped up within six months by fans in Malaysia and abroad.
For the 31-year-old Azlan, the collaboration was something he never imagined, particularly with Nanyang being a Thai brand from a country that has long dominated sepak takraw.
“I really didn’t expect something like this to happen because we know Nanyang is a Thai brand and it is not easy to get this kind of collaboration.
“I’m not sure what made them decide to try something different, but they wanted to have someone from Malaysia and they chose me.
“Maybe they started noticing me after we won the World Cup in 2024 and Malaysia continued to get good results after that, including at the Asian Cup.
“From there, I think they felt they wanted to have a Malaysian ambassador working with Nanyang,” said Azlan.
Azlan believes sepak takraw began to attract greater attention after Malaysia finally got the better of archrivals Thailand at the 2024 World Cup, winning both the regu and doubles events.
For the Perak-born player, beating Thailand was especially satisfying as Malaysia had often lost to their archrivals in major finals, including at the SEA Games and Asian Games.
He also feels those victories at Stadium Titiwangsa two years ago helped open more eyes to the potential of sepak takraw players, not only for what they can achieve on court but also for their commercial appeal.
“Besides having my own shoe line, some of my teammates have also been approached to do advertisements and become brand ambassadors. This also helps to give sepak takraw more exposure.
“Even in the Sepak Takraw League (STL), teams are becoming more serious now. Players are getting better allowances and salaries, and there are also transfer fees for those who move to another club.
“I think all this is good for the development of the sport and will also benefit the national team,” added Azlan, who will be one of the keys players in the Asian Games starting this week in Japan.
Malaysia won two silvers at the last edition in Hangzhou, China and will be out to go one better.
Competition dates: Sept 20-Oct 3
Venue: Paloma Mizuho Arena
Squads
Men: Mohd Syahir Rosdi, Haziq Hairul Nizam, Zulkifli Abdul Razak, Zarif Marican Ibrahim Marican, Mohd Azlan Alias, Noraizat Nordin, Afifuddin Razali, Hafizul Hayazi Adnan, Norfarhan Adam, Amirul Zazwan Amir, Aidil Aiman Azwawi, Zuleffendi Sumari.
Women: Siti Norzubaidah Che Ab Wahab, Siti Hadifitri Navilla Jumidil, Kamisah Khamis, Nurul Syifa Najwa Mohd Zam Sairon, Nur Athirah Roslan, Fisydiana Faradona, Razman Anam, Kamalia Azwa Kamarul Adzhar, Veronica Asli.
How they fared at the last Asian Games: Two silvers (men’s regu and team regu)
Target: Two gold medals
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