By CHRISTINE CHEAH
alltherage@thestar.com.my

Michael Ong, deputy general manager of Marigold HL Milk

Healthy fun at Cheer 2003

IF you think you are all grown-up and your body does not need milk anymore, Michael Ong has something else to tell you.

“Milk is vital for all ages. It could be the only near-complete-balanced food and as adults you still need the essential nutrients in the milk to keep you healthy,” said Ong who is the deputy general manager of Marigold HL Milk.

As Marigold HL Milk presents Cheer 2013, Ong explains that this is their initiative to do something for young people. The Cheer 2013 finals will be taking place at the Putra Indoor Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur on June 29 and 30.

“We would like to tell the young audience that milk is important to them. Cheer, with the energy shown in their routines, is in line with what we want to promote to youths,” said Ong.

The teamwork and camaraderie displayed by the participants and the audience in the last few years have definitely impressed Ong. This will be the fourth year that Marigold HL Milk is supporting Cheer.

“To me, Cheer is very different from other types of sports. In football or badminton, the opposing team and their supporters will jeer and boo at each other but in Cheer it is different.

“The audience cheers for every team and even the participants cheer for each other,” said Ong, based on his experience of attending Cheer.

It is the positivity from all parties and also the effort put in the routines by the cheerleaders that Marigold HL Milk wants to promote.

And as Ong said it, a healthy event should go with a healthy product.
Ong emphasised that milk is needed by people of all ages. “In the West, people drink milk like water. Over here, we do realise the milk consumption is relatively low; it is mostly only consumed by kids aged one to seven,” said Ong.

However, as one grows out of childhood, milk consumption rate decreases.
Ong added, “These days, it is common that the younger generation prefers carbonated drink and they know very well that it does not contain any nutritional value. However, we want to tell them to take nutritional drinks as refreshments instead.”

Ong said one of the reasons Malaysians don’t drink milk is because they are lactose intolerant.

“We realise that there is a number of lactose intolerant people as well and as such, our range of milk is low in lactose which would that particular group of people,” said Ong.

n Cheer is presented by Marigold HL Milk, with main sponsor Silkygirl and co-sponsor Sugus.