South Korean-headquartered Kia Motors has agreed to become the exclusive automotive partner of the Chinese national men's and women's football teams. The multi-year sponsorship deal with the China Football Association which runs through to 2010, comes on the heels of Kia's ongoing top tier sponsorship of FIFA - the governing body of the FIFA World Cup - through 2014. This most recent foray by Kia into the world of major football sponsorships is expected to lend valuable support to the CFA's ambitions of achieving great success at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
As the official automotive sponsor of Team China, Kia will provide the CFA with the latest new vehicles from its model line-up for the efficient management of team activities, in addition to financial support. The vehicles will be supplied from Kia's domestic plants and the Dongfeng Yueda Kia factory in China - a joint venture formed in 2002 between Kia Motors, Dongfeng Motor and Jiangsu Yueda Investment.
"This latest sponsorship of Team China represents a major step forward in cementing Kia's commitment to the world of football, which was launched by signing our long-term partnership deal with FIFA, and we eagerly anticipate the many synergies to be enjoyed by all parties involved during the upcoming 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China," Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Vice President and COO of Kia Motors Corporation, told The Auto Channel.
As the official automotive sponsor of Team China, Kia will provide the CFA with the latest new vehicles from its model line-up for the efficient management of team activities, in addition to financial support. The vehicles will be supplied from Kia's domestic plants and the Dongfeng Yueda Kia factory in China - a joint venture formed in 2002 between Kia Motors, Dongfeng Motor and Jiangsu Yueda Investment.
"This latest sponsorship of Team China represents a major step forward in cementing Kia's commitment to the world of football, which was launched by signing our long-term partnership deal with FIFA, and we eagerly anticipate the many synergies to be enjoyed by all parties involved during the upcoming 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China," Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Vice President and COO of Kia Motors Corporation, told The Auto Channel.