Italy Adds Partners for Tokyo 2020 - Sponsor Spotlight

(ATR) The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) signs its first sponsorship agreement since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Energy company Axpo Italia and its subsidiary Pulsee will sponsor Team Italy through next year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The companies will also sponsor Casa Italia, the home for the Italian team in Tokyo during the Games.

"This partnership is the beginning of a new phase. It is the first sponsorship contract signed by CONI in the post Coronavirus and it is a very important sign of recovery and hope," said Giovanni Malagò, president of CONI.

"We are proud to be supported by a company like Axpo Italia and I hope that this partnership will send us a lot of good energy and enthusiasm and it is a good omen to look forward to a more peaceful future for all Italian sport so that it can always achieve the most important results."

The collaboration officially began on June 12.

India Could Drop its Chinese Kit Supplier

The Indian Olympic Association is considering a ban on Chinese sponsors and products following a deadly military clash between the two countries along a disputed Himalayan border.

The Hindustan Times reports that both the secretary general and the treasurer of the IOA have come out in support of dropping Li-Ning, the Chinese company which since May 2018 has provided training apparel, leisure wear and footwear to the Indian team and its officials.

The agreement with Li-Ning is set to run through the Tokyo 2020 Games. The company had previously been kitting partners for the Indian team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The call to boycott Chinese products in sports comes after 20 Indian soldiers were killed by Chinese forces earlier this week in the first deadly skirmish in the disputed border area in 45 years.

USA Triathlon Breaks New Ground

USA Triathlon becomes the first U.S. National Governing Body in the Olympic & Paralympic Movement to team up with a non-alcoholic beer producer.

The partnership agreement with Athletic Brewing Company was signed this week and runs through June 2023.

"USA Triathlon is proud to venture into a new sponsorship category with Athletic Brewing Company," said Chuck Menke, USA Triathlon Chief Marketing Officer.

"Non-alcoholic beer is an ideal option for endurance athletes, providing a satisfying and refreshing taste at 70 calories or less without negative effects on training, diet or overall wellness. Athletic Brewing Company stands out from other non-alcoholic beer producers in the quality, precision and variety of its brews. We can’t wait to ultimately introduce them to the wider multisport community through sampling at our USA Triathlon events."

All Athletic Brewing Company beers are below the 0.5 percent alcohol-by-volume (ABV) requirement in order to be considered non-alcoholic by U.S. federal law.

The company, founded in 2018 in Connecticut, currently sponsors U.S. professional triathlete Ben Hoffman, who placed second at the 2014 IRONMAN World Championship.

Written by Gerard Farek

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