Games names adidas sportswear sponsor
By Lei Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-01-24 23:52

The famous adidas sporting brand will be worn by numerous Chinese teams and athletes during the 2008 Olympic Games, it was agreed yesterday.

Under the official partnership agreement between the Beijing organizing committee for the event -- known as BOCOG -- and adidas-Salomon AG, the latter will also supply all of the sportswear for the staff, volunteers and technical officials.

The agreement, which was signed at the National Olympic Sports Centre and witnessed by more than 250 guests and media, also includes sportswear for the Beijing Paralympic Games.

In addition, the German-based manufacturer will outfit the Chinese Olympic teams during the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics and the Beijing event.

"The company has always paid enthusiastic attention and given active support to the development of sport in China," said Wang Wei, BOCOG executive vice-president.

"In the context of the rapid growth and continuous expansion of the Chinese sporting market, we believe the sponsorship from adidas for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will allow for an even greater contribution to the Olympic movement and to sport in China.

The company was heavily involved in the Athens Games. Athletes wearing adidas shoes or apparel won 147 gold, 128 silver and 148 bronze medals, its website claims.

Yesterday, Sandrine Zerbib, head of adidas in China, said: "Over the next four year, adidas will also develop and launch exciting marketing and promotions campaigns that compliment the Olympic spirit and Olympic values."

So far, BOCOG has seven official partners.

Yuan Bin, vice-director of BOCOG's marketing department, said the selection of more partners would move forward within the next couple of months.

Meanwhile, BOCOG executive vice-president Jiang Xiaoyu said yesterday his committee will start to recruit volunteers from all over the world before June this year.

Jiang said the 2008 Olympic Games needs 80,000 to 100,000 volunteers.

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