MAS powers Mercantile Volleyball Tournament 2018

To rekindle the spirit of the country’s national sport, MAS Holdings, South Asia’s largest apparel manufacturer, has once again stepped forward to power the Mercantile Volleyball Tournament 2018 organised by the Mercantile Volleyball Association. 

MAS will serve as the Platinum Sponsor of the event, which will kick-start its preliminary rounds on the 1 and 2 September at the Maharagama Youth Outdoor Stadium. This was announced at a recent press conference held at Olympic House in Colombo. 

Held in three categories, the Mercantile Volleyball Championship will comprise the Super League, Championship and ‘A’ Division tournaments. The finals will be held on 10 and 11 November at the Maharagama Youth Indoor Stadium. 

With its sheer passion for sport, MAS fosters a sporting culture within the organisation across all tiers, giving special emphasis to popularising the country’s national sport of volleyball among its employees. Furthermore, MAS also sponsored the Mercantile Volleyball Tournament for the past two years as the Platinum Sponsor. 

Underscoring the successful completion of six tournaments and the commencement of the seventh this year, Mercantile Volleyball Association (MVA) President Lakmal Jayasinghe noted: “With the revival of the MVA in 2012, our association has steadily grown and today we stand as one of the strongest associations in the country. The MVA tournament is dominated by the apparel industry while other industries including telecommunication, plantation, financial and FMCG have continued to kindle the competitive spirit. We have recognised some of the eminent players in the country and in turn have paved the way for reputed corporates to come forth and foster these sporting talents.” 

Elaborating on the evolution of the national sport within the mercantile sector, MVA Vice President Sudarshana Jayathilake said: “In 2012 we kicked off the tournament with only a championship category for men and women. Over the years we have added new categories and since 2015 we have been holding the tournament under three distinct categories – Championship, Super League and ‘A’ Division. This year we are expecting a total of 90 to 95 teams to vie for titles. MVA is undoubtedly a reward master in volleyball tournaments, as we annually reward the competencies of the finest players with a total value of over Rs. 1.5 million. And from this year onwards we are planning to reward the Best Player of the ‘A’ Division tournament with an attractive cash prize.”

Being one of the strongest contenders of the tournament, MAS will be represented by 20 teams from all divisions across the island to vie for the coveted titles this year. MAS’ Casual line clinched the Women’s Super League for six consecutive years, whereas Leisureline won the Men’s Super League last year. MAS’ Linea Clothing emerged as the second runner-up in the championship bracket last year, while Stretchline claimed the runner-up spot in the ‘A’ Division. Other SBUs of the company also performed well by securing the top three spots in the Championship and ‘A’ Division categories. In fact, 2017 was a successful year with MAS bagging 11 mercantile titles across all 14 mercantile sports. 

Commenting on the occasion, MAS Holdings Human Resources Group Director Shakthi Ranatunga noted: “We understand that our employees and the communities we operate in have a great affinity towards volleyball. It is also the country’s national sport and the sport of the masses. Therefore, as an organisation that is connected to the grassroots, we certainly want to be a part of it. We are happy to partner the Mercantile Volleyball Association as the platinum sponsor for the third consecutive year. This I believe gives us the unique opportunity to rekindle sportsmanship among corporate contenders while proactively supporting a sport adored by all.”