MUMBAI: With an aim to reach out to the Asian youth, Animax will be playing a key role in the World Cyber Games 2006 Asian Championship as its main sponsor.

Sony Pictures Entertainment Networks Asia vice president programming and production Betty Tsui said, "Animax is proud to be associated with World Cyber Games 2006 Asian Championship as gaming is a prominent interest of Animax's youth audience and, as a brand, we want to connect with our viewers in their areas of interest and to inspire them to fulfill their passions and live out their dreams."

As the principal partner of this year's competition, Animax is creating an original production called CyberMax, a hip three-part entertainment series aimed at giving viewers an insider glimpse of the world of cyber-gaming.

Apart from this, Animax will showcase four anime titles in a movie marathon before they are premiered on the channel at the World Cyber Games 2006 Asian Championship on 12 August. The movies, which will be screened are: Blood the Last Vampire, Samurai X - Director's Cut as well as the first two episodes of Blood + and Girl From Hell.

Animax viewers around the region also had the chance to win exclusive backstage tours at the Asian Championships in Singapore through an on-air contest where three winners from Philippines and Malaysia will get to meet in person top gamers and find out what really goes on behind the scene of such a large-scale event.