Toyota Awards Japanese Player Mana Iwabuchi MVP Title at 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup

Toyota Awards Japanese Player Mana Iwabuchi MVP Title at 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup
Toyota Awards Japanese Player Mana Iwabuchi MVP Title at 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup

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In support of female football talents and sports-related skills Amman, May 2018 – Stemming form Toyota’s keen interest in supporting women's football, enhancing women's capabilities and sport-related talents, and sponsoring the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, held in Jordan from 6-20 April, 2018, Japanese forward, Mana Iwabuchi was awarded the title, Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament, which included a USD 10,000 reward. This unparalleled player was handed her award by Toyota’s Brand Manager in Jordan, Wafai Mseis, following the final match between Japan and Australia, held at the Amman International Stadium, which ended with a 1-0 win for Japan. Mseis stated, "Scoring a goal in a football match, albeit a single goal, should be considered a collective achievement that counts as a point in the favor of each and every team member, be they players or coaches. The sheer palpable energy that emanates from female football players in tournaments such as these, has a way of touching the hearts and minds of all those, around the world, who are fortunate enough to witness it. For this reason, we at Toyota are overjoyed to be able to support this tournament, and to award the MVP title, not just to Iwabuchi herself, but to the entire Japanese Women's National Football Team (Nadeshiko Japan)." This award serves to underscore the long-standing relationship between Toyota and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), as Toyota offers support to many AFC-led championships and football teams, based on its belief that all sport, especially football, possesses the capability to enrich lives and unify diverse communities globally. With the end goal of promoting women’s passion for football, and in order to highlight their skills and athletic abilities, which deserve acknowledgment and appreciation, Toyota chose to sponsor the 19th AFC Women's Asian Cup, hosted by Jordan for the first time in the history of the Middle East as a whole. Nadim Haddad, General Manager of  Markazia – the sole distributor of Toyota cars in Jordan, said, "There is no question that women's football in Jordan is moving forward and progressing, which is why a match of the magnitude of the AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifier provides our young women, specifically the Nashmiyyat team, with the unprecedented and much-needed opportunity of being exposed to professional skills, talents and the global standards of women's football, and is a source of inspiration for all those who wish to pursue football to the highest international standards, realizing their dreams and making them a reality. We at Markazia Toyota are pleased to have been a part of supporting this sport in Jordan, and across the world.”