"People in China are absolutely fanatical about basketball and their national team is without doubt their most watched sports team. We learnt that if companies want to be endeared to the Chinese market, then an association with basketball is a fantastic avenue. The reach is immense - 38.6 million people watched the China team play the Philippines in the FIBA Asia Cup in 2015. And when the World Cup draw came out last month, drawing the Tall Blacks with host-nation China, suddenly the Tall Blacks brand became one of New Zealands most attractive sporting brands in China. So the potential is vast and Fonterra have had the foresight to test the waters with the Junior Tall Blacks.
"Its fantastic that the team will go over to Cairo with such a strong New Zealand brand. The company have done incredibly well in Asia and it seems to have a great symmetry as we step into the Asia region for the first time in a World Cup context," said Potter.
Kane Silcock, Fonterras Global Sponsorship Manager, says partnering with Basketball New Zealand was an exciting one at a time when basketball is on the rise.
"The fit between Fonterra, Anchor and the Junior Tall Blacks is a natural one on so many fronts.
"From a nutrition perspective, dairy is key in a healthy balanced diet and, even more so, when youre a top performing basketball player. It contains high quality protein with all the essential amino acids that our bodies need to build, repair and maintain muscle.
"From an attitude perspective, we believe that goodness provides strength, and leads to self-belief and the willingness to give anything a go. And as the Junior Tall Blacks compete they will be drawing on this attitude that is hard-wired into the Kiwi psyche.
"And finally, every day, as we turn our farmer owners milk into products that are then consumed all over the world, we recognise we have a responsibility to do Kiwis proud on the world stage and were delighted at the opportunity to support the Junior Tall Blacks in doing exactly this too," said Mr Silcock.
The Junior Tall Blacks depart for China tonight. Fans can follow the teams progress and show their support by tapping into Basketball New Zealand's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts through @BasketballNZ.
- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Basketball New Zealand