Great Eastern extend sponsorship

Great Eastern today announced that it will extend its Co-Title Sponsorship of the S.League for a further two years, from 2012 to 2013, valued at a total of S$1 million.

With this renewal, the S.League is assured of providing local football a platform where young, talented and experienced footballers can showcase their skills as well as giving Singaporeans the opportunity to enjoy the Beautiful Game. With a new tournament format and a total of 14 teams competing for top honors this season, the S.League will certainly prove to be an exciting affair for both fans and players.

Commenting on the sponsorship renewal, Dr Khoo Kah Siang, General Manager (Singapore), Great Eastern Life, said: “We are happy to continue our partnership with the S.League which we have been supporting since 2009. Football has always been one of the top sports in Singapore and our association with the league has helped to bring the Great Eastern brand closer to the community.

“At Great Eastern, our focus is to promote Health and Wellness to not only our customers, but to all Singaporeans from all walks of life and of all ages. Hence our sponsorship of sports events such as the S.League and also our annual run for women. Our ‘Life is Great’ tagline is our inspiration. We believe that ‘Life is Great’ when one is healthy and well and our main intent is for everyone to live a healthier, happier and longer life.

“One key initiative during this new sponsorship term will be our working with the Football Association Singapore (FAS) on an outreach programme to schools where we will be using football to promote life skills such as teamwork, perseverance, and character-building to the young, while at the same time championing a healthy lifestyle through sports. We also welcome to our Great Eastern team three ambassadors – Lionel Lewis, Aleksandar Duric and Paul Cunningham – who epitomise the virtues of hard work and dedication. They will help us promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle not only to the football fraternity but also to the community at large, including schools.

“We are also delighted, for the first time, to sponsor the Great Eastern Charity Shield which will be held on 5 February as the curtain-raiser to the 2012 S.League season. Proceeds and donations raised in conjunction with this match will go towards our adopted charity under the Great Eastern ChildrenCare programme which will benefit the less privileged children from MINDS Fernvale Gardens School.”

Newly-appointed S.League CEO Mr. Lim Chin, who was also present at the press conference, mentioned, “I cannot be happier to be sitting here today with our friends of Great Eastern Life Assurance. Some of the Great Eastern management are my old-time football buddies, and it is great to see us coming together again to bring Singapore football to another level. Great Eastern Life Assurance Co Ltd has been a firm supporter of local football and with this sponsorship renewal, they are reaffirming their conviction to continue promoting the beautiful game here in Singapore. With the many initiatives intended to reach out and target the community, I am sure this wonderful partnership between Great Eastern and the S.League will soar to greater heights.”