Samsung to sponsor India’s Asian Games contingent

The Indian contingent for the Guangzhou Asian Games is to be sponsored by consumer goods major Samsung India Electronics.

Mumbai: The Indian contingent for the November 12-27 Guangzhou Asian Games is to be sponsored by consumer goods major Samsung India Electronics which today signed an MoU with the Indian Olympic Association to this effect.

Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi and J S Shin, president and CEO, Samsung South West Asia, signed the MoU in the presence of IOA’s secretary-general Randhir Singh and other senior functionaries from IOA and the sponsors, a media release said. In addition to supporting the national team at the 16th Asiad in China, the digital technology leader would also provide scholarships to ten top ranking players across individual sporting disciplines to support their training expenses, the release said. The scholarships would be similar to the “Olympic Ratna Programme” the company had carried out for the 2004 Athens and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, according to the release. Shin pointed out that the success Samsung achieved through its association with the IOA during the 2008 Beijing Games, encouraged them to extend the scholarship programme to the Asian Games two years later. “At Samsung, we are indeed very privileged to be associated with the Indian Olympic Association and the Indian team to the Guangzhou Asian Games 2010. The success that we received with our ‘Olympic Ratna Program’ in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has encouraged us to extend the Scholarship Programme for the Asian Games as well,” Shin said. “It has been our continuous endeavour to bring alive the pride and spirit of the Asian Games for our Indian consumers. Over the coming few months, we will continue to organize Asian Games related events in India to build interest and support for the Asian Games and the Indian team”, he added. IOA chief Kalmadi lauded the company’s continued support and commitment to the Asian Games and Olympic programmes and hoped that ‘the Samsung Scholarship’ for individual players and the firm’s support to IOA and for the entire team would yield strong and positive results in the form of a “richer medal tally for the country”, the release said. Randhir Singh, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee, appreciated the initiative taken by the company towards supporting and strengthening the Asian Games movement in India and worldwide, it said. Samsung India’s association with the IOA commenced with the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games it has supported the Indian contingent to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, 2002 Busan Asian Games, 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. PTI