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- 'LG
Cup 2014', finale broadcast nationally in South Korea via MBC Sports+
- LG partnership and MBC Sport+ broadcast highlight growing
appeal of women's sport -- and WBSC's disciplines -- among potential
new sponsors and broadcasters, says WBSC's President Riccardo
Fraccari.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- The
world's governing body of baseball and softball, the World Baseball
Softball Confederation (WBSC), announced today that South Korea electronics
giant LG Electronics (066570: Korea Exchange) has been named the official
title sponsor of a new annual international baseball event dedicated
entirely to the promotion of women athletes: the LG Cup International Women's
Baseball Tournament.
In a
partnership between LG, WBSC's baseball division -- the International Baseball
Federation -- and the Women's Baseball Association of Korea (WBAK), the
inaugural LG Cup 2014 was successfully launched last week and hosted at LG
Champions Park, a state-of-the-art sports complex in Incheon, South Korea
that features two playing venues and an indoor baseball training facility. (See Photos.)
The
opening contest and championship finale of the LG Cup 2014 were both
broadcast nationally in South Korea by cable network MBC Sports+.
Commenting
on the title sponsorship and launch of the LG Cup 2014, Bon-joon Koo, vice
chairman and CEO of LG Electronics, said:
"LG
is proud to take a leadership role in celebrating women's achievements,
whether that's in the sports arena, family, or business. We think it's
important that women continue to have opportunities to participate and
succeed in fields that are traditionally off-limits to them."
Riccardo
Fraccari, president of the WBSC said:
"The
WBSC is extremely honoured that a global, multinational corporation like LG
is committed to offering new and expanded opportunities for women to
succeed on the global stage and to inspire and bring more girls and young
people to choose sport through WBSC's disciplines.
"The
support and sponsorship of an industry leader like LG sends a powerful
message about the growing appeal of WBSC's sport disciplines -- and women's
sport in particular -- as vehicles to tear down social barriers and
stereotypes, while aligning with various business strategies and socially
responsible investments."
LG's
sponsorship and hosting of the LG Cup also highlights the growing appeal of
bat-and-ball sports amongst women, President Fraccari said, with softball
being one of the world's most popular sports for women and more women
taking up baseball.
"We
are working hard to expand opportunities for more women to participate in
sport through softball and baseball, and having the support of important
sponsors like LG and our many other great sponsors across both disciplines
is fundamental to our efforts to maximize access for women to play our
sports -- and indeed other sports," President Fraccari said.
WBSC's leadership and sport
analysts consider new international baseball and softball events in new
regional markets for new audiences, along with new and repeat sponsorship
and broadcast agreements, digital marketing programmes, and strong youth
appeal and fan experience to be key drivers behind baseball/softball's
growing global footprint, and for enhancing the Olympic experience and
movement, if the disciplines return to the Olympic programme, pending
discussions on the Olympic sports selection process at the IOC Session in
Monaco in December.
LG has
a long history of supporting women's health and wellness around the world
and has implemented such sports activities as a key component of its
Corporate Social Responsibility programme.
LG also
helped to cover the expenses of a women's baseball club from India,
enabling the 22-members to make the journey to South Korea to compete in
the inaugural LG Cup.
In
total, the LG Cup 2014 united eight elite clubs from seven nations,
including Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the
United States.
Through
the newest showcase of women's baseball, LG, the WBSC and WBAK hope to
create new pathways for women to participate in and benefit from more
sports activities -- and to encourage more women from all backgrounds
to choose sport and WBSC's disciplines, helping to shape society a sporting
landscape that is more relevant and attractive to women. The LG Cup
platform also aims to further raise the profile and highlight the
achievements and talents of female athletes, while using sport to promote
international friendship, respect and excellence.
The
recently elected WBSC leadership, under President Fraccari, has made it one
of its chief priorities to promote gender-equality and to seek to provide
more opportunities for girls and women to be empowered through sports that
women like to play and excel at, like baseball/softball -- and to harness
the skills and leadership of women across all levels of WBSC's decision-making
structure and in society at large.
LG's
partnership on the world's newest women's international baseball event
follows WBSC's recent announcement that
South Korea has been awarded the hosting rights of the 2016 Women's
Baseball World Cup.
Women's
sport and women's baseball will continue to be in the spotlight for WBSC
next week, when the eight-nation 2014 ENEOS Presents VI
Women's Baseball World Cup begins on 1-September in Miyazaki, Japan.
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