One of the benefits of entering the Masters scene is the potential for teams with years of buiness experience to lock together to find ways of sponsoring their way to tournaments. In the case of Singapore women, they have perhaps become the first Masters team to achieve such an array of business backing and raise the profile of women’s hockey in the process.
Singapore’s first women’s national team at Masters level has secured significant sponsorship from five international backers as the squad prepares for the 2023 Asian Continental Cup, which unfolds in Hong Kong in November.
Take a look at this: the inaugural Over 40s team has announced global derivatives marketplace CME Group, consumer family healthcare company Colief, global insurance specialists Newline Group, financial trading platform 24 Exchange, and the independent global maritime consultancy Solis Marine as its core backing. No doubt all with links to the team.
The sponsors will receive maximum brand exposure across the Singapore and Hong Kong sporting communities together with their logos on the squad’s kit and pre and post tournament promotion activity across social media channels. All of the matches during the six-day tournament will be livestreamed globally by cluch.tv.
A wider campaign forms part of the national squad’s mission to encourage more women in to competitive sports, particularly at Masters level.
Ping Tan, co-founder of the women’s veterans and subsequent masters hockey movement in Singapore and Global Head of EFX Liquidity at Bank of America, said: “We are delighted to receive such significant support from our international sponsors and look forward to working with them as we prepare for Hong Kong.
“Working together, we want to encourage more women to return to hockey in Singapore, to strengthen the local competitive leagues and future international tournaments and build a community of women in sport, supporting each other to ‘have it all’.”
Rachel Flynn, CEO at Newline Asia Services and international hockey forward, said: “Our aim is to not only build towards the 2024 World Cup, but raise the profile of women’s hockey, encouraging greater participation and opportunities in team sports for women and girls in Singapore. Newline Group is pleased to join the other sponsors in realising these short- and longer-term goals.”
Research carried out by Sport for Success, te Socio-Economic Benefits of Women Playing Sport 2017, reveals that:
- Women who play sport have higher levels of educational qualifications and confidence.
- Women aged 16 to 24 who engage in sport at least once a week are significantly more likely to be in a management role than those who do not play any sport.
- Women who play regular sport are more motivated to achieve long term goals.
- Employers benefit from the increased effectiveness of female staff who are active.
Eighteen players including two goalkeepers will travel to Hong Kong for the international tournament which will see more than 600 participants from across Asia compete for the Cup.
