In football, the ball is the game’s most essential element. To support competitions and training across all levels, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) spends over a crore BDT annually on footballs alone. To curb these expenses, BFF has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Japanese sports equipment manufacturer Molten.
Fahad Karim, BFF Vice President and Chairman of the Marketing Committee, stated:
“Molten will provide us with 2,000 balls free of charge every year, and another 2,000 at a discounted price. This will save us around 5 million BDT annually—amounting to approximately 15 million BDT over three years.”
Previously, BFF covered ball-related expenses through financial assistance from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). With this new partnership in place, the saved funds will now be redirected to other essential sports equipment. Fahad added:
“Now that we are saving money on footballs, we can invest in other gear. Our discussions with the AFC on reallocating funds are ongoing. Since Tabith Awal became president, he has been reviewing how FIFA and AFC grants are spent, looking for more efficient alternatives.”
In 2024 alone, BFF purchased over 3,000 Molten footballs. According to its technical department, around 4,000 balls are needed each year for national activities. Should the need exceed this amount, BFF retains the right to purchase additional footballs from other brands, without any restrictions from Molten. This is also BFF’s first official football partner, and Molten will be featured on various federation boards, just like other partners.
Despite other global manufacturers like Adidas showing interest, BFF chose Molten after careful evaluation.
“We spoke with 4–5 companies. While pricing was similar across the board, most only offered 500 to 1,000 free balls. Molten increased their offer from 1,500 to 2,000 free balls, and it’s already a trusted brand in Bangladesh. Many local competitions use Molten balls,” Fahad explained.
Clubs have long voiced concerns over not receiving enough match-quality balls for training. Typically, the federation distributes balls toward the end of the season as a formality. With this new deal, BFF plans to ensure a more structured and timely distribution of footballs to clubs and district associations alike.
The agreement was signed by Takashi Ozaki, Asian Group Leader at Molten Corporation, and BFF’s Fahad Karim.
“Football is an emotion. We want everyone to connect with that emotion through Molten. We’re proud to partner with BFF,” said Ozaki.
BFF Vice Presidents Naser Shahriar Zahedi and Wahid Uddin Chowdhury Happy were also present at the signing ceremony.
