CURLING: Logo and Title Sponsor Unveiled for Women's Worlds 2017

The local organizing committee of the CPT World Women’s Curling Championship 2017, to be held between 18 and 26 March, has unveiled the event logo and title sponsor at a press conference at the Capital Gymnasium, in Beijing, China.

In the venue where the championship will be held it was announced that Beijing Competitor Sports Science and Technology Co. Ltd. (CPT) has won the naming rights and sponsorship of the championship. CPT also sponsored the 2014 men’s Worlds in Beijing.

The organising committee explained that hosting this flagship international curling event is an integral part of their preparations for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Chen Jie, the executive deputy director of the committee and deputy director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports said that WWCC 2017 is: "an important practice opportunity before the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. The championship is highly valued by the World Curling Federation and curling associations of all countries.

"It is estimated that at that time more than 150 people including athletes, coaches, officers of the World Curling Federation and judges will gather in Beijing to jointly witness the magnificent meeting on the ice.

"In recent years, especially since our city succeeded in bidding for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games jointly with Zhangjiakou, Hebei, Beijing has held international high-level ice events including Men’s Curling Championship, Oakley Shaun White Air & Style Beijing Event and Cup of China ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, and accumulated rich experience in event organisation."

Ren Hongguo, the executive director of event committee and secretary of Winter Sports Administration Centre of General Administration of Sport of China, said: "We will present a wonderful and successful World Women’s Curling Championship, which positively contributes to development of curling in the world, promotion of sports culture exchange among different countries and wonderful, extraordinary and distinguished 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games."

Hongguo also explained that this event is a chance to grow the sport throughout China. "He said: Although curling started late in China, the progress of competition level is fast.

"The successful bidding of 2022 Olympic Winter Games brings great opportunities for prosperity and development of ice sports including curling in China. The Ice Sports Development Plan (2016-2025) released on November 2, 2016 highlights that it is essential to fully improve competition levels of ice sports and international competitiveness to make the foundation solid and greatly improve its popularity."

World Curling Federation President, Kate Caithness, said: "With the CPT World Women’s Curling Championship 2017 just around the corner I’m pleased to hear about the progress being made and the hard work to ensure a first-class event in March.

"I am also delighted to welcome CPT, on board, as title sponsor once again.

"The development of our sport in China continues to grow rapidly and we very much look forward to working together with our friends in China over the coming years."

The World Curling Federation and Chinese Curling Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding, in December 2016, which sees the two organisations work together to develop the sport of curling, both in China and across the world, particularly in the build up to the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The next three editions of the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in Asia. The two winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea in 2018 and Beijing in 2022 will have four medal events each for curling – women’s, men’s, mixed doubles and wheelchair.

For more information, please contact:

Cameron MacAllister

Communications & Media Relations Manager

World Curling Federation

Email: media@worldcurling.org

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