Team Intel Adds Athletes for Tokyo 2020 - Sponsor Spotlight

(ATR) Worldwide Olympic partner Intel reveals the first four athletes to join its team for the Tokyo Games.

Ashton Eaton (track and field), Lex Gillette (paralympic track and field), Nneka Ogwumike (basketball) and Noah Lyles (track and field) will work with Team Intel as ambassadors for Tokyo 2020.

Their work will include initiatives like Athlete 365, the IOC’s official athlete support program, and providing feedback on how Intel’s technology can support athletes and the sporting community.

Eaton, who won gold in the decathlon at the last two Summer Games, retired from competition in 2017. He works at Intel as a product development engineer focusing on integrating key technologies into the Games.

Gillette, a silver medalist at four Paralympics, Ogwumike, a two-time World Cup winner, and Lyles, the current world champion at 200 meters, are all working towards qualifying for Tokyo in 2021.

"We have great respect for the commitment necessary to compete on the world’s biggest stage and so we are excited to welcome these athletes to Team Intel," said Rick Echevarria, vice president and general manager, Intel Olympic Program.

"Each member not only brings an impressive list of athletic achievements, but also, importantly to us, a passion for the role that technology plays both in their sport and in the world. We look forward to supporting them on their journey over the next year."

FIH Partners With Kayford Branding

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced this week a multi-year partnership with official licensed products leader Kayford Branding.

The deal, which runs through December 2023, includes selling merchandise on a regular basis at all FIH events as well as through e-store services on FIH digital platforms in the future.

Kayford Branding, which has its headquarters in Hangzhou, China and subsidiaries in Berlin, adds FIH to a portfolio that already includes FIFA, UEFA and other federations in Europe and Asia.

"Official licensed products are an integral part of the fan experience and it is important to increase our presence in this field," said FIH CEO Thierry Weil in a statement.

"We’re really glad to engage with such a reputed and established expert company as Kayford Branding."

European Handball Federation, hummel Join Forces

The European Handball Federation and its marketing arm sign two agreements with hummel.

The Danish sports brand will become the official sports supplier of the EHF and EHF Marketing for the next four years.

One deal encompasses men’s and women’s EHF EURO competitions – up to and including the Women’s EHF EURO 2024 – while the second covers the four top club competitions: the EHF Champions League Men, the DELO EHF Champions League and both EHF European League competitions.

The company will also supply sports clothing and shoes for the federation’s staff and officials, including referees, across all competitions.

"As we embark on a new era in handball it feels only right to be able to join forces with one of the sport’s most distinguished brands, said EHF President Michael Wiederer in a statement.

One of the first things that will come out of the new partnership is a dedicated online shop, which will launch in the autumn allowing supporters to purchase official merchandise.

World Skate Enhances Data Management

World Skate takes another step forward in its effort to standardize competition data, judging and scoring.

The federation this week announced a new partnership with live scoring platform LiveHeats.

Under the deal, all World Skate Member Federations will have access to LiveHeats' platform for live scoring and event management at sanctioned National Championships. A single athlete database with an individual account for each member federation will be created with the data also feeding directly into World Skate’s rankings.

"The partnership with Live Heats is a milestone on World Skate’s path towards providing National Federations with a solid tool for managing National Championships, expedited results inclusion in the World Skate Ranking and will deliver an overall improved experience for our athletes, organizers, and fans" says Luca Basilico, Skateboarding Manager at World Skate.

"Its been incredible to work closely with the skateboarding community over the last two years," says Chris Friend, CEO at LiveHeats. "We’re stoked to help streamline events, and collaborate with organizers, judges, and athletes to continue refining our platform in line with their needs."

Written by Gerard Farek

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