体坛英语新闻：AIA hopes to benefit from sponsoring Tottenham Hotspurs

BEIJING, Oct.?7 (Xinhuanet) – The insurer AIA sponsored the English Premier League teamTottenham Hotspurs (the Spurs) in line with the company’s long-term strategy to help Chinese youth football develop, said AIA China CEO Cai Qiang to Xinhua lately.

The AIA group officially announced its sponsorship of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club?earlier this year to last till the end of the 2018-2019 season of English Premier League.

Sitting in the VIP box of the famous football stadium White Hart Lane, the current home stadium of the Spurs, Cai said from a business perspective, AIA made the decision because of the team’s 80 million fans in Asia, and its prestige for its long-term investment in talents and professional trainings. AIA’s corporate logos are easily seen in various places of the White Hart Lane stadium, including 11 mobile advertisements of the stadium.

Cai said since the Spurs’ market development is concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region, AIA could help Tottenham Hotspurs club hold better activities in this region. In the meantime, AIA can enhance brand awareness, improve customer engagement and increase employee pride through this sponsorship.

In addition to considerations of commercial interests, AIA also hopes to help with construction of football infrastructure for Chinese youth, Cai added.

In May this year, AIA?announced its sponsorship of television sports show "Football Dream." The program are selecting young soccer talent in five cities in China including Hong Kong, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing. The winners?will be rewarded?a trip to?famous European football clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and Football Club Internazionale Milano.

Donna Cullen, executive director of Tottenham Hotspur in charge of marketing and communication, said the Spurs hoped to offer a far-reaching benefits to Chinese football through the cooperation with AIA in the next few years, such as cultivating more fans and healthier lifestyle.