Yamaha Gladiator, a motorbike in the Yamaha range designed exclusively for executives, stylish and fashionable youth, has reported a phenomenal increase of 19% in sales within one month. Associated Motorways PLC, the local agents for Yamaha in Sri Lanka attributes one of the main reasons for this remarkable success to the popularity of Lasith Malinga and desire of the youth in Sri Lanka to follow his unique lifestyle. Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lankan fast bowler, who has won millions of hearts of cricket fans in Sri Lanka and abroad alike, recently signed an agreement with Associated Motorways PLC to work as the Brand Ambassador for Yamaha. Lasith Malinga is himself a Yamaha Gladiator fan, and even rides a Gladiator to cricket practice as he enjoys the pure pleasure of riding it.

Yohan de Zoysa, General Manager for Yamaha in Sri Lanka said, " We are very pleased that Lasith Malinga joined us as the Brand Ambassador for Yamaha. This phenomenal increase in the sales of Yamaha Gladiator is clear proof of the high popularity of Lasith and the unique trust Sri Lankan bike lovers have placed on Yamaha".

Gajaba de Silva, Marketing Manager for Yamaha explaining about the agreement between Lasith Malinga and Yamaha said, "In every country Yamaha selects Brand Ambassadors from popular personalities who are accepted both locally and internationally. In the selection process, cricketers are often given preference as they can ideally represent the power and performance of Yamaha bikes. Lasith Malinga has been able to capture the hearts of cricket fans worldwide with his superior bowling performance and the signature sling-arm action. However, the main reason which prompted us to select him as Brand Ambassador for Yamaha was that Lasith is a real biker who is a fan of Yamaha Gladiator himself. Today we are very pleased with our selection, as it has already yielded unbelievably good results."

The company expects a sales increase between 21% - 25% for Gladiator within the next month with many bike fans already placing their orders for brand new Yamaha Gladiator bikes.

Lasith Malinga, expressing his pleasure to represent Yamaha as Brand Ambassador said, "Being a biker was a dream I cherished from my childhood. Yamaha Gladiator has let me realize that dream today with its awesome performance and stylish design. I'm really glad to be appointed as Brand Ambassador for Yamaha as it gives expression to my passion for bikes."

The Yamaha Gladiator presents a powerful combination of sporty looks and aggressive performance with an Air-cooled 4-stroke SOHC 125cc engine. The bike, made with Japanese technology, became an instant hit among bike lovers worldwide.