Photo/Shetuwang

Feb.9 (NBD) -- Yadea, a company specialized in manufacturing electric-powered motorcycle, bicycles and scooters, was confirmed as a sponsor for the 2018 FIFA World Cup^TM for Asia on Thursday during a ceremony at Shanghai. The company will sponsor the tournament with 20 million U.S. dollars.

NBD noticed that Yadea became the fifth Chinese sponsor, following the real estate developer Wanda, smartphone maker Vivo, dairy provider Mengniu, and consumer electronics maker Hisense. 

According to FIFA's official website, its sponsorship structure is divided into 3 levels: namely FIFA Partners, FIFA World Cup Sponsors, and the Regional Supporters. Yadea is signed as a Regional Supporter for Asia, earning a range of rights, including LED board exposure during the event, access to tickets and brand association rights for its region.   

Liu Yeming, Chairman of Yadea Group Holdings Ltd, told NBD that sponsoring the World Cup, the most-watched sport events worldwide, is in line with its product position and will fuel its internationalization drive.

NBD noticed that Yadea has tried to take advantage of the fever surrounding the tournament since 2014. Being an official sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup this time, Yadea will be more justified to do such promotions. In the future, Yadea is said to compete in the global market with high-quality products.

Jiang Lizhang, founder and CEO of Desports, noted that to date, only 3 seats remain vacant for Regional Supporters of the 2018 FIFA World Cup for Asia. Although many foreign companies also joined the bid, there is a high possibility that Chinese enterprises will win the bid in the end.

Iain Dowine, FIFA's director of marketing sales and strategy, said China's sports industry has been growing really fast in recent years and the 2018 FIFA World Cup is bound to see presences of Chinese partners.

Email: tanyuhan@nbd.com.cn