NEW DELHI: Samsung India Electronics has been signed as the sponsor of the Indian Contingent to the 16th Asian Games being held at Guangzhou, China between November 12 and 27, 2010.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Samsung and the Indian Olympic Association to this effect today. In addition to supporting the Indian Contingent to the Asian Games, Samsung will also be providing Scholarships to ten top ranking players across individual sporting disciplines to support their training expenses, akin to the ‘Olympic Ratna Programme’ the company had carried out for the 2004 Athens and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
 
Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi and Samsung South West Asia president and CEO JS Shin signed the MoU in the presence of International Olympic Committee secretary general, IOA and member Raja Randhir Singh along with senior functionaries from IOA and Samsung. 
 
Speaking on the occasion, Shin said, “The success that we received with our ‘Olympic Ratna Programme’ in the 2008 Beijing Olympics has encouraged us to extend the scholarship programme for the Asian Games as well. And this year, we have increased the number of individual players getting support to 10 for the period leading upto the Asian Games.”

Samsung will be the ‘official partner’ for the Indian Contingent to the 16th Asian Games in the consumer electronics /IT and Telecom categories. Samsung Electronics, the parent Company of Samsung India, is the ‘prestige partner’ of the 16th Asian Games.
 
Samsung India’s association with the Indian Olympic Association commenced with the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games and ever since the Company has supported the Indian Contingent to the Y2000 Sydney Olympics, Y2002 Busan Asian Games, the Y2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The individual Gold medal winner at the Beijing Olympics , Abhinav Bindra was a ‘Samsung Olympic Ratna’. “It has been our continuous endeavour to bring alive the pride and spirit of the Asian Games for our Indian consumers. Over the coming few months, we will continue to organize Asian Games related events in India to build interest and support for the Asian Games and the Indian team.” Shin added.