MILO® Philippines renews its partnership with one of its longest-running partners, the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK) in a partnership reinforcement ceremony held in Makati City, which will continue and scale its efforts to nurture more young Filipino champions through grassroots sports.
The event was led by Veronica Cruz, Senior Vice President and Business Executive Officer for Beverages & Confectionary of Nestlé Philippines, Carlo Sampan, Head of MILO® Sports, Richard Lim, President of AAK and Chino Veguillas, Vice President of AAK. This partnership will provide enhanced support for AAK’s grassroots sports programs across the country.
“This milestone is especially significant as both MILO® and AAK mark their 60th anniversary in the Philippines,” said Cruz. “The AAK has been an indispensable partner of MILO® in bringing out the inner champion of every Filipino. Together, we remain committed to inspiring more parents to start their kids’ champion journeys and practice a values-driven life toward success through our programs.”
A partnership spanning more than 35 years, MILO® and AAK have been promoting Karatedo to teach Filipino children valuable lessons such as grit, discipline, and teamwork, which serve as a cornerstone for their growth and success in sports and life.
Under this renewed partnership, MILO® and AAK will continue to offer programs promoting youth and grassroots sports development through its existing initiatives such as the MILO® Sports Clinics and the MILO® AAK Super Karate Kids tournaments which will happen year-round.
“Our continued collaboration with MILO® will only mean that more opportunities await our young aspiring karatekas,” said AAK President Lim. “We are excited to inspire and train the next generation of champions, helping them achieve their fullest potential through the sport of Karatedo.”
Scaling Karatedo Programs
for Champion-Building
In a recent effort to nurture more children through sports, MILO® sponsored AAK’s 60th-anniversary event, the Shureido International Karate Championships, held from July 5 to 7 at the SM Mall of Asia. The three-day event gathered nearly 1,500 participants and featured an international youth tournament, allowing young Filipino athletes to compete with international contemporaries. Participants also got a chance to learn from some of the world’s best karatekas in a seminar led by Tokyo Olympics Silver Medalist Kiyou Shimizu, Youth League World Champion Sakura Alforte, SEA Games Medalist Rebecca Torres, World Champion Ayumi Uekusa, Asian Champion Hiroto Shinohara, and World Karate Federation Bronze Medalist Hiroko Nakano.
“We are delighted to have supported this event and see our homegrown talents thrive on an international stage. MILO® and AAK are driven to provide more platforms so that our kids can showcase their skills, gain valuable experience, and reach even greater heights,” said Sampan.
This year, AAK will stage various tournaments with the support of MILO®, to help kids from grassroots communities elevate their competitive abilities and showcase their karate skills on a broader stage. The Super Karate Kids Tournaments at the SM Malls will now have destinations in Bacolod and Davao to provide avenues for young athletes from the grassroots community. The AAK will host the Asia Youth Karate Championships which will see 900 competitors from 38 countries and the Asian Cadets U-21 Championships which will bring together the best karatekas in the region. In 2026, the Philippines will host the World Youth Championships, which will welcome over 3,000 athletes across the globe.
Finally, the MILO® Sports Clinics for Karatedo will continue year-round. The clinics will be available in select locations nationwide, offering basic to advanced courses for kids seven and above. The AAK-MILO® Sports Clinics has been the stepping stone for many young karatekas, providing them with the skills and character development needed to excel in the sport. These efforts have resulted in producing some of the most prominent athletes today, such as Jamie Lim, who began her journey in the MILO® Sports Clinics.
“By expanding our programs and clinics, we are committed to reaching more young athletes across the country so that every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and achieve success through sports,” said Sampan.
For more details about the MILO® AAK Sports Clinics and tournaments, visit the official MILO® website (http://www.MILO.com.ph), and follow the official MILO® Philippines Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MILO.ph), TikTok (@MILOphilippines) and Instagram (@MILOPhilippines) pages.
