MEDIA RELEASE              10 October 2013 

ISPS HANDA titles the Perth International for the second consecutive year

The International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS), has today been announced as the title sponsor for the ISPS HANDA Perth International for the second consecutive year.

Dr Haruhisa Handa, ISPS’ Founder and Patron of Golf Australia, said he was pleased to again be supporting this significant event on the international golfing calendar.

 “The ‘Power of Sport’ is a great tool for creating hope and breaking down educational and cultural barriers. We choose to support events such as the ISPS HANDA Perth International to inspire and bring people together,” Dr Handa said.

ISPS has supported golf globally for many years and has sponsored events in Australia for almost a quarter of a century. Dr Handa and ISPS are committed to also raising the profile of blind and disabled golf.

“Our ultimate mission is for golf to become a Paralympic sport and the ISPS HANDA Perth International provides us with a great platform to promote this worthy cause,” Dr Handa said. 

“The inaugural ISPS HANDA Perth International was a great success last year and we are looking forward to being title sponsor again in 2013.” 

Vice President and Director of Golf for IMG in Australia, David Rollo, said ISPS’ commitment to both the ISPS HANDA Perth International and golf development around the world is inspirational. 

“Dr Handa and ISPS have a remarkable commitment to blind and disabled golf and to the sport in general and we are sincerely delighted to welcome them back as our naming rights partner in 2013. 

“This will be the second year the event has enjoyed the support of ISPS HANDA and we thank Dr Handa and his team for their invaluable commitment,” Rollo said.

The ISPS HANDA Perth International will be contested next week at the stunning Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Western Australia.  It is the only Australian tournament to be co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia. 

The field of 144 players will include defending champion Bo Van Pelt from the US; fellow countryman, seven-time PGA TOUR winner and world number 21 Dustin Johnson; 2013 Presidents Cup International team member and 2012 European Tour four-event winner Branden Grace from South Africa; Brett Rumford - winner of back to back events on the European Tour this season; and 12-time European Tour event winner and 2013 Irish Open champion Paul Casey from England.

The Perth International in its second year is owned and promoted by IMG.  It is proudly supported by the Western Australian Government, through Eventscorp.

Eventscorp Executive Director Gwyn Dolphin praised ISPS’s continued support for the Perth International.

“Major international events like this can’t work without strong corporate support and we appreciate very much the confidence Dr Handa and ISPS have in the Perth International,” Mr Dolphin said.

“Last year’s event was hailed a success by players, spectators, viewers and sponsors alike, and we are confident the ISPS Handa Perth International can continue to grow and develop.”

The ISPS HANDA Perth International is also partnered with premium brands including Volkswagen, Crown Perth, The West Australian, the Seven Network, Schweppes and TAG Heuer.

Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and start at $44.  Children under 16 are free when accompanied by a paying adult and there are single day, weekend and four-day pass options available.  Tickets will also be available on the gate on each day of the tournament.

Lake Karrinyup Country Club is widely acknowledged as Western Australia’s premier private golf club and has been regularly rated as one of the top ten golf courses in Australia.

For more details and event updates visit perthinternational.com and stay up to date on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/PerthInternationalGolf and Twitter - @PerthIntl.

About ISPS

ISPS is a ‘General Incorporated Association’ based in Tokyo.  ISPS was founded by Japanese philanthropist Dr Haruhisa Handa in 2006 to support charitable causes throughout the sporting world.  ISPS has fostered partnerships with golf governing bodies worldwide to help develop the game at every level and promote blind and disabled golf.  ISPS’s heritage in supporting blind and disabled golf and Dr Handa’s interest and philanthropic contribution in golf has formed the foundation of its wider mission for golf to become a Paralympic sport.   Last month, ISPS HANDA was confirmed as the title sponsor for the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf to be played in Melbourne from 21 to 24 November 2013.  Visit www.ispsgolf.com

 

About IMG

IMG Worldwide is a global sports, fashion and media business, with nearly 3,500 employees operating in 30 countries around the globe. IMG’s areas of expertise are diverse and wide ranging:  IMG College; IMG’s Joint Ventures in China, Brazil, India and Turkey; IMG Media; IMG Events and Federations; IMG Golf and IMG Tennis; IMG Fashion; IMG Models; IMG Art+Commerce; IMG Clients; IMG Academy; IMG Consulting and IMG Licensing.  More information is available at www.imgworld.com  Follow us on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/ IMG_Worldwide and Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/IMG-Worldwide/ 

Media contact:  Janine Pittaway, +61 (0) 418 911 796 or