KUCHING: Sarawak and English League One football club Hartlepool United FC now have a common sponsor — Dubai-based engineering firm Global Process Systems (GPS) Inc.

Hartlepool will render technical and tactical assistance to the State FA following a tie-up reached in April.

GPS logo has been featured on the Sarawak football kits in the last few Malaysia Cup games.

Hartlepool chief executive officer Clint Elgar and Sarawak team manager Zuraimi Sabki have been friends since their university days in England, and the idea for GPS to come in and help Sarawak was mooted at a meeting between them in Kuala Lumpur last year.

Zuraimi pointed out that GPS was helping the Sarawak team to rebuild itself. This season, they finished bottom in the TM Super League, and have a very slim chance of advancing to the later stages of the Malaysia Cup.

“Together, we are building the foundation for the future, and next season, we can look forward to better things for the Sarawak team,” said Zuraimi at a Malaysia Cup appreciation lunch here yesterday.

The announcement of GPS as the new main sponsor and the unveiling of jerseys bearing GPS logo were made at the function.

GPS (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd business development manager F. Nikitaridis attended on behalf of his CEO. He said his CEO had expressed the wish to sponsor Sarawak over the long-term.

“If the team do well, we will give them more financial support. We also like the team to land the Malaysia Cup possibly by next season,” he added.

Many officials from Football Association of Sarawak (FAS), including acting president Datuk Richard Riot, were unable to attend the function. The reason was they had to attend to the arrangements to bring back the body of a State youth team player who died in Penang.

A one-minute silence was observed at the function as a mark of respect for the player.

In another development, Zuraimi said he backed Riot for the FAS presidency at the extraordinary general meeting scheduled today.

Riot, MP for Serian, was appointed acting president following the resignation of previous president Khaider Zaidell. “I hope Datuk Richard will be elected the new president,” he said.

The lunch was held to thank the players and the management team for their efforts this season. Former Sarawak team coach-manager Alan Vest was also present.