Tianjin (China), 12-Mar-2008
DSM and the Tianjin Sports Bureau today announce an agreement involving the
sponsorship of Tong Wen, Shi Junjie and other excellent athletes from the
Chinese National Female Judo Team. The two year agreement (2008-2009) further
underlines DSM’s involvement with sports and presence in China.
Judo is a traditional oriental sports dating back to the latter half of the
19th century. It became an Olympic discipline for men in 1964 during the
Olympic Games of Tokyo. For women, judo saw its Olympic debut in 1992 in
Barcelona. China is very competitive in judo, especially in the women’s
competitions. Judo is not a competition merely based on shape and weight, but
a tactical sport where skill, smartness and strategy are key ingredients for
success. The essence of Judo is to be proactive, decisive and persistent,
combined with integrity and morality. This echoes the principles and drivers
of DSM's long term commitment in China. And to be proactive, innovative,
honest and open is also our requirement to our employees.
Two of the athletes representing the Tianjin Sports Bureau, and members of the
Chinese national female judo team, are Tong Wen and Shi Junjie. Tong Wen
(1983), competing in the +78 kg category, won the 2003, 2005 and 2007 World
Championship titles and the 2007 Female Group Champion World Judo
Championship. Shi Junjie (1980) is reigning World Champion in the under 52
kilo category, a title she capped during the World Championship in Brazil in
2007. She also holds the Asian Female Judo Champion’s title. Both Tong Wen and
Shi Junjie are potential contenders for the Beijing Games this August.
Han Zhenduo, Director of Tianjin Sports Bureau further underlined the
importance of the alliance between sports and business, “We are
thrilled with DSM’s sponsorship of elite judo athletes from Tianjin, such as
Tong Wen and Shi Junjie. The athletes’ training, which has received strong
support from DSM, is fundamental to the development of sports. We look forward
to continuing the progress of these athletes and enhancing the overall quality
of our sports to reach a higher goal.” Mr. Xiong Fengshan, Director of
judo department of weight lifting, wrestling and judo centre of General
Administration of Sports of China, Secretary-General of the Chinese Judo
Association expressed his appreciation of DSM’s active support for the
development of judo in China. “Attention and support from the
community is a strong motivator behind the development and popularization of
judo. DSM’s sponsorship provides a positive example of how corporations can
use innovative approaches to support the expansion of judo in China. We will
work together with DSM to enhance the harmonious development of judo in China
.”
For DSM, the agreement marks another important milestone in the development of
their international activation program Innovation is our Sport™, after recent
signings in the Netherlands and Switzerland. “DSM regards the
sponsorship of elite athletes from China’s national female judo team highly.
It is an important first step in DSM’s active involvement with sports in China
”, said Dr. Jiang Weiming, President of DSM China. “As a
company specializing in life sciences and materials sciences, DSM strives to
bring not only cutting-edge products to China, but also our global experience
and achievements in sports innovation. Our expertise can provide China’s
sports industry with valuable references, which is also an important part of
our long-term commitment to the China market.”
DSM and sports
Sport is about performing at a top level, day
in, day out. About passion, ambition, wanting to be the best, about continuous
improvement and teamwork. As such, sport embodies a number of DSM’s core
values. Just like sportspeople DSM is continuously pushing its limits:
Unlimited.DSM. Innovation is one of the main spearheads of DSM’s strategic
course, with its focus on Life Sciences and Materials Sciences, and it is
equally important in the world of sports: innovations in the fields of
nutrition and materials can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Innovation is our Sport™ is therefore an apt title for DSM’s
international program in the field of sports.
DSM and NOC*NSF have been “
Partners in Sport” since 2001. In the run-up to Beijing 2008, DSM has
stepped up its efforts in the field of sports and innovation even further in
the hope of making a major contribution to the success of sports development.
