Xtep sponsors IAAF; to continue 'Love Running, Love Xtep'

25 May '10

3 min read

Xtep International Holdings Limited announced to be a partner and the sole sport sportswear sponsor for the International Association of Athletics Federations Diamond League Shanghai (“IAAF Shanghai Diamond League”) from 2010-2012.

In the next three seasons, Xtep will sponsor and provide outfits for referees, organizing committee members, security officers, volunteers, award ceremonies and other workers of the IAAF Shanghai Diamond League.

The IAAF Diamond League is a top annual series of track and field meets. The Shanghai league is the second stop of its series this year and will be held at the Shanghai Stadium on 23 May 2010. There will be over 160 athletes from over the world including 15 top athletes who are the reigning world or Olympic champions joining the 16 diamond races in Shanghai. The league features “Chinese Flying Man” Liu Xiang, a 110m hurdler, and “The Jamaican Lighting” Usain Bolt, the world record holder in 100m and 200m races.

Hundreds of millions of audience will share the intense atmosphere of the games through broadcast by 48 television stations worldwide, including whole-day live broadcast by China Central Television Channel 5 (CCTV5) and British Broadcasting Corporation Channel 3 (BBC3) in United Kingdom.

The Xtep brand will be shown all over the world, boosting the recognition and reputation of the Group. Mr. Ding Shui Po, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xtep, commented on the partnership: “The Shanghai Diamond League is a prestigious and well-received athletic league that assembles top athletes. We are honored to have partnered with the IAFF Shanghai Diamond League and to inspire and share the enthusiasm for sports. We will continue to promote our “Love Running, Love Xtep” spirit to the world and further strengthen our professional running-focused brand.

“Running is a core focus of Xtep. Customers have associated “running” with the Xtep brand. As such, we have sponsored different kinds of running events, including the Xiamen International Marathon, Tibet Half Marathon, Xi'an City Wall Marathon and National Healthy Running activities. The partnership with Shanghai Diamond League has highlighted our continuous support towards the sport industry,” Mr Ding Shui Po said.

Xtep has implemented a unique sports and entertainment dual marketing strategy in recent years. It has sponsored a number of international sporting events and teams, including the Olympic Games, The 10th and 11th National Games, Birmingham City Football Club of the English Premier League, CX China Extreme Sports Competition, the National Basketball League and the Women's Chinese Basketball Association.

Xtep International Holdings Limited