LONDON: The Saudi Sports for All Federation announced on Sunday that it had signed a partnership with the Middle East arm of Japanese sportswear brand ASICS.
Saleh Al-Husseini, the SFA’s managing director, and Seiji Hori, ASICS Arabia general manager, signed the agreement at a ceremony in Riyadh.
Under the terms of the agreement, ASICS Arabia will serve as a strategic partner for two SFA events and will play a prominent role as a key sponsor of the Riyadh Marathon.
The partnership follows a visit by SFA members to Japan, where they engaged with sports organizations, met representatives of ASICS at its international headquarters, and learned about innovative technologies at the ASICS Institute of Sports Science, the federation said in a statement.
During that trip, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two parties, laying the groundwork for future collaborations.
The Riyadh Marathon takes place annually every February, and will now include ASICS as an official sportswear brand.
All participants will receive an ASICS performance running top designed with recycled materials, highlighting the brand’s ongoing sustainability drive.
Other SFA events and campaigns, at national and community levels, will be scheduled throughout the year.
“The SFA is honored to collaborate with ASICS Arabia as a strategic partner. This collaboration marks the beginning of a dynamic relationship aimed at building key events and supporting different sports initiatives,” Al-Husseini said.
“We believe this partnership will not only take our events to the next level but continue to position Saudi Arabia as a global sporting destination.”
Hori said: “ASICS Arabia is proud to collaborate with the SFA as a strategic partner. We see this as the beginning of a dynamic partnership, helping to build key events and support different sports initiatives.
“This collaboration will not only develop physical and mental well-being in the Kingdom but encourage everyone to become a Lifetime Athlete, in line with our company’s Sound Mind Sound Body philosophy.”