The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and global sports apparel brand, KELME, have announced the extension of their partnership, as well as an expansion to include more competitions between 2024-2029. The partnership will see KELME designated as the Official Global Supporter of all major AFC club competitions as well as several national team competitions within the contract period.
The AFC’s standing partnership with KELME from 2021-2024 included all major AFC national team competitions. The partnership saw KELME work with the AFC to deliver official apparel and accessories for key competitions such as the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ 2022 and 2024, and other youth competitions, as well as the delivery of the bespoke match ball for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™.
The partnership extension was announced today at a ceremony held at KELME’s headquarters in Jinjiang, China PR, which was attended by representatives of the AFC and KELME.
Datuk Seri Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said: “The AFC is delighted to not only extend, but also expand the strength of our partnership with Kelme to include our revamped club competitions, which reinforces the ever-growing reach, appeal and prestige of the AFC’s world-class competitions. We are proud of what we have achieved with Kelme thus far and we thank them for sharing our belief that the future of Asian football is indeed brighter than ever.”
AFC and KELME announce the extension of partnership as the Official Global Supporter of all major AFC club competitions as well as several national team competitions from 2024-2029.
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KELME will channel its expertise – as a global leader in sports that spans decades – to develop world-class apparel and accessories, ensuring standardised quality across all AFC competitions. KELME will also supply the Official Match Balls for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™, the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ 2026 and 2028, the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ 2026 and 2028, as well as the revamped AFC club competitions – the AFC Champions League Elite™, AFC Women’s Champions League™, and AFC Champions League Two™ – from 2025 to 2029.
KELME Chairman, Mr. Ke Yongxiang, said: “We are honoured to renew our strategic partnership with the AFC following the tremendous success of our previous collaboration. This next phase of cooperation expands from national team tournaments to include club competitions, deepening our partnership to create even greater value for Asian football. We look forward to KELME’s exceptional performance in the upcoming AFC Asian Qualifiers™, AFC Asian Cup™, AFC Champions League Elite™, as we embark on this new journey together with the AFC.”
Patrick Murphy, CEO of AFG said: “The AFC and KELME’s mutual commitment to this partnership have driven its remarkable success over the past years, and we are delighted to see that both entities have taken the decision to extend and even further expand the scope of this partnership. We trust KELME’s capability to provide world-class products and equipment that suit the status and popularity of Asian football.”
About the AFC
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of Asian football and one of the six Confederations making up FIFA. Established in 1954, the AFC is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and comprises 47 Member Associations.
The AFC organises the AFC Asian Cup™, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ and the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ which are the flagship Continental national team football and futsal competitions, while the AFC Champions League Elite™ and AFC Women’s Champions League™ are the premier competitions for Asian clubs, drawing millions of fans to the beautiful game across the length and breadth of the Continent and beyond.
About KELME
KELME is a globally recognized sports brand with over 60 years of experience in designing and producing high-quality sports equipment and apparel. Committed to innovation, technology, and design, KELME strives to provide athletes with top-notch gear that enhances their performance. For more information, please visit www.kelmechina.com.
About Asia Football Group
Asia Football Group (AFG) is the exclusive commercial agency for the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) competitions from 2023-2028. AFG’s partnership with the AFC covers the commercial rights for all major AFC National Team and Club competitions, including the AFC Asian Cup™, AFC Asian Qualifiers™, AFC Women’s Asian Cup™, AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers, AFC Champions League Elite™, AFC Women’s Champions League™, and AFC Champions League Two™ as well as AFC youth and futsal competitions.