World Archery Announces New Four-Year Sponsorship Agreement with FILA

 

World Archery (WA) is adding FILA, another strong partner and a leading sports brand with a rich tradition, to its line-up of sponsors for its World Cup and World Championships circuit.

FILA is one of the largest sportswear manufacturing companies which was founded by the Fila brothers in 1911 in Italy’s Piedmont’s town of Biella.

The company’s original product was underwear, before moving into sportswear. Their first major athlete endorsement came in the 1970s with tennis champion Bjorn BORG. FILA has been active in supporting various champions from a variety of sports, such as tennis, skiing, basketball, motorsports, golf, football and running.

In January 2007, FILA Korea acquired the global FILA brand and all its international subsidiaries. FILA Korea now holds all of the international rights of footwear and clothing and is the largest sportswear brand in this country. Mr YOON Soo is the Chairman and CEO at FILA’s headquarters in Seoul (KOR).

Currently, FILA sponsors established athletes such as Serbia’s tennis players Janko TIPSAREVIC and Jelena JANKOVIC, Korea’s golf player HAN Hee-Won, Brazil’s national indoor football team and the Korea Skating Union.

The agreement was signed today in Seoul in presence of Mr YOON Soo, Mr Tom DIELEN (WA Secretary General), Mr Juan-Carlos HOLGADO (WA Events Director) and Ms KIM Soo Nyung (Athlete of the Century). As of 2013 and for the next four years, this agreement will provide WA judges, officials and staff with official FILA clothing.

World Archery is the governing body of archery worldwide. Its head office is located in Lausanne, Switzerland. Its President since 2005 is Prof Dr Ugur ERDENER (TUR), who is also a Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was recently re-elected President of the National Olympic Committee in Turkey.

According to its Constitution, WA’s main objective is to promote and encourage archery throughout the world in conformity with the Olympic principles.

Archery was part of the Olympic Movement from 1900-1920 and has been permanently included in the Olympic Games since 1972. At the London Olympic Games, archery was one of the sports that attracted the widest audience, and in 2013, was listed by the IOC as a core Olympic sport. The sport became famous in recent years for staging intense competitions in spectacular locations all over the world.

“FILA became worldwide known through Bjorn BORG which was my idol during my childhood. I loved playing tennis and thinking I was Bjorn BORG,” said Mr. DIELEN. “Thanks to the work of the Hanyang University, helping us signing this agreement, and another legend of sport, Ms KIM Soo Nyung, we are here together to start a partnership that will last for a long time”.

“Archery allows a partner such as FILA to be visible in very exciting venues like the World Cup Final in Paris later this year, where the arrows will be shot at the Trocadero Fountain with the Eiffel Tower in the back of the targets,” Mr DIELEN added.

“Archery also brings FILA to join other major global brands such as KIA Motors, Turkish Airlines and Longines as partners of an important core Olympic sport and I am convinced that today is the start of a long-term relationship between FILA and World Archery.”