Cambodia's highly visible and rapidly expanding hire purchase and vehicle finance company, Group Lease Finance (GLF), have once again teamed up with Tennis Cambodia as the co-sponsors of the National Davis Cup squad leaving for Kuala Lumpur on Saturday for the Asia Oceania Group III contest beginning on March 25.

The tennis-savvy GLF played a significant role as co-sponsors of the national team on two previous campaigns and remain one of the solid pillars of support for Tennis Cambodia, having been the main sponsors of all the three legs of the $10,000 ITF Cambodian Futures events held in succession during November-December last year.

Led by charismatic chairman Mitsuji Konoshita, a former Japanese tennis pro turned business magnate and a well renowned sports benefactor, GLF also co-sponsored Cambodia's Davis Cup expeditions in Dubai last year and Iran eight months ago, confirming their unique status as one of Tennis Cambodia's prime partners.

Due to prior business commitments, Konoshita could not attend a news conference held at the offices of Tennis Cambodia on Wednesday morning to announce the company's continued support for the national team.

On Konoshita’s behalf, GLF director Yusuke Kozuma addressed the media and released a statement from Konoshita highlighting this three-year partnership.

"I am delighted to be a partner of Tennis Cambodia, which has taken the game to a level of excellence that had seemed improbable not long ago. Discipline, dedication and determination in good measure have contributed to the amazing growth of tennis in this country, and I am proud to be part of this great journey," said Konoshita, whose grand vision is to create the Kingdom's first fully fledged Tennis Academy in the next few years.

"Our business philosophy is youth-driven and it perfectly blends with that of Tennis Cambodia, which has done an outstanding job in reinventing and promoting the game country-wide. There is no better catalyst than the Davis Cup to ignite tennis passions and bring people together,'' Konoshita said, whose diversified sports interests include ultra marathons, in which he has recorded some notable triumphs.

''Cambodia is sitting on a wealth of youth potential and events like the Davis Cup can inspire a whole lot of them,'' said Konoshita, under whose leadership GLF has registered a milestone 10,000th contract in 2014 as proof of its ever-growing and influential presence in the Kingdom.

"I set out as a tennis pro in my youth. I couldn't make it big, but now I have an opportunity to create a platform for the present generation to get big, an ideal that I share with Tennis Cambodia," Mitsuji Konoshita said. "Like tennis partnerships on the court, we have to be there for each other. I am more than pleased to be that committed partner of an entity that is firmly devoted to the promotion of the game at all levels in every part of Cambodia," he said.

"We are delighted to have GLF and Mr Mitsuji Konoshita on board again in such a huge measure for these very significant international events," said Tennis Cambodia secretary-general Tep Rithivit. "Ever since GLF moved into our family fold, the bond between us has grown stronger, and I am confident that this enduring partnership will elevate tennis to new heights in the coming years. Great support like the one extended to us by GLF is what drives great success."

The GLF chairman joined the entire staff in wishing Cambodian national team captain Tep Rithivit and every member of the squad every success in the Malaysian capital.