Dubai: Dubai has extended its sponsorship of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) for a further three years, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to forging closer relationships with China across the economic and cultural arenas.
The renewed agreement between the Government of Dubai and the CTTA, announced at a press conference in Beijing, will see Dubai’s name appearing on the Chinese national team’s official tracksuits for the first time, in addition to the team’s official shirts, promotional material and signage.
The sponsorship, facilitated by Falcon and Associates, covers the men’s, women’s and junior teams’ participation in domestic and international events, attracting television audiences in excess of 100 million viewers and helping to raise awareness and understanding of Dubai across China and beyond.
Speaking in support of the sponsorship, Dr Ahmad Sa’ad Al Sharif, General Secretary of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), said: “It is a great honour for Dubai to extend its sponsorship of the Chinese Table Tennis Team, a world-first in any sport where a city has sponsored another nation’s team. With this sponsorship, thanks to sport’s unique ability to cut across national boundaries, we have further connected the people of China and Dubai, promoting a deeper, mutual understanding while also supporting the growth of table tennis in the Middle East, launching a grassroots initiative to inspire greater levels of participation across Dubai.
“As a global hub and destination for high-profile international sporting events, our commitment to table tennis was visible during the recent International Table Tennis Federation World Tour Grand Finals staged in Dubai. Hosting the event gave us an opportunity to introduce the Chinese players to new audiences and to grow the sport’s global popularity by showcasing them in action at iconic locations across the city, including the helipad of the Burj Al Arab.”
Liu Xiaonong, vice-president of the CTTA expressed his delight at Dubai’s support, commenting on how the partnership has contributed to strengthening collaboration between Dubai and China across the fields of sport, business and culture, while also helping to support the development of table tennis in the Middle East.
Will Oscroft, Falcon and Associates’ director of Marketing and Communications, said: “Supporting table tennis demonstrates the importance Dubai places on its relationship with China. Since the start of the sponsorship we have engaged with thousands of players, from novices to experts, at community and school events and on social media, as well as installed free-to-use tables in parks across Dubai. We aim to build on these achievements with the next three years taking us through the team’s journey to Rio 2016 and beyond. There is immense potential for us to develop our partnership with both the CTTA and China.”
The Chinese community can join the conversation online at weibo.com/visionae.
