NEC extends sponsorship of wheelchair tennis
Tokyo, January 29, 2021 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) today announced that it has renewed its sponsorship agreement with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as title sponsor of the NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters and as an International Sponsor of the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour events in a selected number of countries for an additional three year period for 2021 through 2023.
NEC celebrates 30 years of partnership with the ITF this year, having been title sponsor of the Wheelchair Tennis Tour from 1992. NEC also celebrates 28 years as title sponsor of the NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters in 2021.
Wheelchair tennis traces its beginnings to California, USA, in 1976 and has since spread across the globe. In 1992, the ITF created a tour for players, the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour, which consisted of 11 international tournaments. Wheelchair Tennis has also been a full medal sport at the Paralympic Games since 1992. It is still today one of the fastest growing wheelchair sports in the world, both in size and popularity, featuring currently over 150 events worldwide each year. In 1994, the ITF launched the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters as the supreme year-end challenge of the Tour.
David Haggerty, ITF President, said: “There is no doubt that wheelchair tennis would not be where it is today without the involvement of NEC, whose commitment to the development of the sport has always gone well beyond their financial contribution. On behalf of the ITF and wheelchair tennis, I would like to express our ongoing gratitude and we look forward to continuing this longstanding and successful partnership.”
Makoto Enomoto, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, NEC Corporation, said: “We are proud and privileged to have sponsored wheelchair tennis for 30 years as we share the same passion for excellence by overcoming challenges and bringing people around the globe closer together. NEC has been a part of the wheelchair tennis community since the sport's early development, and we look forward to continuing our involvement well into the future.”