Ingosstrakh expands its commitment to sport and the disabled through Sochi 2014 Paralympics sponsorship

The leading Russian insurer, Ingosstrakh, announces that it is proud to continue its long commitment to promoting sporting participation and sport for the disabled by officially sponsoring the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi.

Ingosstrakh has a proven track record of being deeply committed to supporting social responsibility and sporting events.

Over 30 years ago, Ingosstrakh was the main insurer of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow where it provided insurance cover for venues and the facilities built specifically for the Games. At the time, Ingosstrakh was also in charge of protecting the Olympic Torch Relay while it travelled through Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and the USSR Republics. It has received this honour again at Sochi 2014, and became a Presenting Partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relay.

For Sochi 2014, Ingosstrakh took the strategic decision, as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility program to sponsor the Paralympic Games.

"As with the Paralympic movement, we support Federation of Physical Culture and Sport for Persons with Physical Disabilities. And now we are delighted to sponsor the Paralympics and contribute to the success of Sochi 2014", said Ingosstrakh Deputy CEO, Alexei Sokolov.

"The Paralympic Games is a demonstration of the achievements and courage of world class athletes whose skills show a great example of high achieving individuals and are a great example for everyone. I would not seek to divide the Olympic and Paralympic Games since both are equally important. For us, as a socially responsible company, Paralympics is even more important", he added.

Ingosstrakh is implementing a hospitality program across Russia during Paralympic Games in Sochi. Under the program, Paralympians, their coaches as well as the company’s partners and social representatives attend Paralympic competitions, take part in excursions across the sports venues in Sochi and participate at the briefings and discussions on the development of adaptive sports in Russian regions.

"We pay special attention to the regional span of the hospitality program," Sokolov said. "We are striving to unite various participants in various Russian regions in order to spread Paralympic values shared by our company. We believe the ongoing Paralympic Games in Sochi will result in establishing a new accessible living environment, with no extra barriers and obstacles."

The insurer is also proud of its long history of supporting a wide range of social projects in Russia.

One of Ingosstrakh’s most recognisable ventures involved construction of unique sports grounds for adaptive sports in 14 Russian cities. The sports facilities were presented to the cities during the Paralympic Torch Relay. They are available for all the categories of people, with a special focus on the disabled. Exercise machines are specially tailored to serve the needs of people with locomotor system diseases.

"We took into account inclusivity principle while designing the exercise machines since active sports should be available for the disabled. And we see our social mission in development of adaptive sports, creating barrier-free environment and attracting all the concerned people to this problem in our country," Sokolov said.

Ingosstrakh is also behind a campaign supporting children with a range of health issues. . The company has been funding a Moscow boarding school for children with locomotor system diseases for over 15 years. The insurer has been also participating in a UNESCO-backed project "Illustrated books for blind children" for more than 15 years. Due to the company’s financial support, over 260 children were subscribed for tactile ‘speaking’ A-B-C book and "Atlas of perceiving illustrations."

The Company was also involved planting tree lined alleyways in more than 30 Russian locations to mark the 65th anniversary of Ingosstrakh, as part of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Ingosstrakh was also behind "New Village" project, which aimed to help villages in Novgorod region affected by the 2010 wildfires.

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