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Major sporting events sewn up
By Fei Lai |
December 21, 2009, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE future looks good for sports fans with major new commitments over the next three years to an "extreme" games regional spectacular and a Yangpu District collaboration that will introduce and promote Australian Rules football in Shanghai. Fei Lai has the lowdown.
For extreme sports lovers and Aussie Rules football fans in Shanghai, the next three years offer an exciting smorgasbord of events.
ESPN Star Sports, one of Asia's biggest sports content providers, has announced that Kia Motors will renew its title sponsorship of the KIA X Games Asia for three more years till 2012.
Next year's event will be the 12th edition of Asia's biggest action sports competition and the fourth to be held in Yangpu District.
The latest edition held in May this year was enthusiastically received by the Shanghai community and broke attendance records with 54,500 fans attending the district's KIC Jiangwan Sports Center.
With the event scheduled to be held in Yangpu every year through to 2012, the local government views this as an exciting opportunity to continue its support of extreme sports in China while continuing to broaden the appeal of the district.
"The last three editions of the KIA X Games Asia in Shanghai have truly been a spectacular experience. We had an increase in ratings, attendance, athletes attending and prize purse," says Manu Sawhney, managing director of ESPN Star Sports.
"We are very pleased to renew our partnership with KIA Motors, a passionate supporter of action sports.
Thrills
"We are also heartened by the enthusiasm of Yangpu District and the Shanghai Media Group, in addition to our category sponsors and co-organizers," he adds.
"We look forward to working closely with our partners to deliver another exhilarating event to fans in Shanghai."
The X Games Asia was the first international X Games outside of the United States and was launched in Phuket, Thailand in 1998. Since then, the event has been held across Asia, which also saw tournaments held at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Seoul in South Korea.
Every year since 2007, the event has showcased nearly 200 of the best action sports athletes from more than 30 countries and regions, featuring the categories of Skateboard, BMX Freestyle and Sport Climbing, and Moto X Freestyle demonstration.?
In addition to the high-level competition, many young and trendy artists, musicians and dancers will give spectacular performances to local audiences.
The total number of sponsors and partners has grown to 32 this year, an increase of nearly three times more than last year.
All the brands stand to benefit from various promotional and marketing opportunities as part of their association with the KIA X Games Asia.
Kia Motors has been a proud sponsor of the X Games Asia since 2005 and became its title sponsor in 2007 when it was first held in Shanghai.
"The KIA X Games Asia continues to evolve every year in line with the growing popularity of extreme sports in China and the entire Asia region," says Byung-Tae Yea, executive vice president of Kia Motors. "And we at Kia Motors are delighted to be a big part of such a dynamic competition featuring some of Asia's best athletes.
"As a brand, Kia Motors strives to appeal to adventurous and young-at-heart consumers and the X Games Asia is a perfect fit for our global brand ambitions.''
Good things come in pairs.
The Australian Football League and Yangpu District held an official signing ceremony last month, a milestone that brings the first truly Australian sport and its culture to China.
According to the announcement, it would play the first AFL match in Yangpu in October next year. The game will coincide with the city's six-month World Expo, at which Australia will have a significant presence.
It is part of a collaboration that includes the AFL-Yangpu Community Partnership education program.
In order to deepen the understanding of the game, star footballer Jason Akermanis did a demonstration after the signing, kicking footballs through goals in full uniform at Jiangwan Stadium.
AFL is Australia's leading football code, contributing A$3.4 billion (US$3.09 billion) annually to the Australian economy and with 7 million people attending AFL matches each year.
There are nearly 700,000 registered participants across Australia and 62,000 players across 35 countries and regions.
The exhibition match between Melbourne Football Club and Brisbane Lions Football Club will be played at the KIC Jiangwan Sports Center in Shanghai on October 17 next year.
"We are extremely excited to be able to bring Australia's indigenous game and all its unique skills to Shanghai as we continue to develop the code internationally," says David Matthews, general manager of AFL's National and International Development.
"The AFL has identified China as an area for expansion and already has growing presence across the country. We are trying to use the World Expo as a platform to exhibit this truly unique Australian sport to a large audience."
With the full support of the Yangpu government, the AFL-Yangpu Community Partnership will see the teaching of Australian Football in local schools and universities, demonstrating and introducing the game to teenagers and youths, who compose a large percentage of Chinese sports fans.
It is hoped that two local university teams will be ready to participate in a curtain raiser to the exhibition match next October.
Chen Wei, chairman of Yangpu Sports Federation, hopes the relationship between themselves and the AFL is a long-lasting, mutually beneficial one.
"Yangpu government is very happy to enter into this harmonious partnership with the AFL. It is our hope that Australian Football and young people at Yangpu's schools can improve together."
For extreme sports lovers and Aussie Rules football fans in Shanghai, the next three years offer an exciting smorgasbord of events.
ESPN Star Sports, one of Asia's biggest sports content providers, has announced that Kia Motors will renew its title sponsorship of the KIA X Games Asia for three more years till 2012.
Next year's event will be the 12th edition of Asia's biggest action sports competition and the fourth to be held in Yangpu District.
The latest edition held in May this year was enthusiastically received by the Shanghai community and broke attendance records with 54,500 fans attending the district's KIC Jiangwan Sports Center.
With the event scheduled to be held in Yangpu every year through to 2012, the local government views this as an exciting opportunity to continue its support of extreme sports in China while continuing to broaden the appeal of the district.
"The last three editions of the KIA X Games Asia in Shanghai have truly been a spectacular experience. We had an increase in ratings, attendance, athletes attending and prize purse," says Manu Sawhney, managing director of ESPN Star Sports.
"We are very pleased to renew our partnership with KIA Motors, a passionate supporter of action sports.
Thrills
"We are also heartened by the enthusiasm of Yangpu District and the Shanghai Media Group, in addition to our category sponsors and co-organizers," he adds.
"We look forward to working closely with our partners to deliver another exhilarating event to fans in Shanghai."
The X Games Asia was the first international X Games outside of the United States and was launched in Phuket, Thailand in 1998. Since then, the event has been held across Asia, which also saw tournaments held at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Seoul in South Korea.
Every year since 2007, the event has showcased nearly 200 of the best action sports athletes from more than 30 countries and regions, featuring the categories of Skateboard, BMX Freestyle and Sport Climbing, and Moto X Freestyle demonstration.?
In addition to the high-level competition, many young and trendy artists, musicians and dancers will give spectacular performances to local audiences.
The total number of sponsors and partners has grown to 32 this year, an increase of nearly three times more than last year.
All the brands stand to benefit from various promotional and marketing opportunities as part of their association with the KIA X Games Asia.
Kia Motors has been a proud sponsor of the X Games Asia since 2005 and became its title sponsor in 2007 when it was first held in Shanghai.
"The KIA X Games Asia continues to evolve every year in line with the growing popularity of extreme sports in China and the entire Asia region," says Byung-Tae Yea, executive vice president of Kia Motors. "And we at Kia Motors are delighted to be a big part of such a dynamic competition featuring some of Asia's best athletes.
"As a brand, Kia Motors strives to appeal to adventurous and young-at-heart consumers and the X Games Asia is a perfect fit for our global brand ambitions.''
Good things come in pairs.
The Australian Football League and Yangpu District held an official signing ceremony last month, a milestone that brings the first truly Australian sport and its culture to China.
According to the announcement, it would play the first AFL match in Yangpu in October next year. The game will coincide with the city's six-month World Expo, at which Australia will have a significant presence.
It is part of a collaboration that includes the AFL-Yangpu Community Partnership education program.
In order to deepen the understanding of the game, star footballer Jason Akermanis did a demonstration after the signing, kicking footballs through goals in full uniform at Jiangwan Stadium.
AFL is Australia's leading football code, contributing A$3.4 billion (US$3.09 billion) annually to the Australian economy and with 7 million people attending AFL matches each year.
There are nearly 700,000 registered participants across Australia and 62,000 players across 35 countries and regions.
The exhibition match between Melbourne Football Club and Brisbane Lions Football Club will be played at the KIC Jiangwan Sports Center in Shanghai on October 17 next year.
"We are extremely excited to be able to bring Australia's indigenous game and all its unique skills to Shanghai as we continue to develop the code internationally," says David Matthews, general manager of AFL's National and International Development.
"The AFL has identified China as an area for expansion and already has growing presence across the country. We are trying to use the World Expo as a platform to exhibit this truly unique Australian sport to a large audience."
With the full support of the Yangpu government, the AFL-Yangpu Community Partnership will see the teaching of Australian Football in local schools and universities, demonstrating and introducing the game to teenagers and youths, who compose a large percentage of Chinese sports fans.
It is hoped that two local university teams will be ready to participate in a curtain raiser to the exhibition match next October.
Chen Wei, chairman of Yangpu Sports Federation, hopes the relationship between themselves and the AFL is a long-lasting, mutually beneficial one.
"Yangpu government is very happy to enter into this harmonious partnership with the AFL. It is our hope that Australian Football and young people at Yangpu's schools can improve together."
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