Budapest Now has 12 Sponsors -- 2024 Roundup

(ATR) Budapest 2024’s Bid Sponsorship Program, launched in June, is producing results.

The bid committee revealed today that 12 organizations have pledged their support. All of the sponsors have strong ties with Hungary and Budapest and are helping the bid through "a mix of direct financial contributions and value in kind".

The sponsors include Audi, Budapest Airport, the Budapest Transport Company, the Centre for Budapest Transport, Gránit Pólus, GRAPHISOFT, Mid Ocean Brands, Provident Financial, Telekom, Wizz Air and Zwack.

The Chairman of Budapest 2024, Balázs Fürjes, says that the team had been delighted by the enthusiasm of both national businesses and multinationals.

"It’s been truly inspiring to see such faith in our city and in our capability as an Olympic sporting nation. We expect that more sponsors will join the movement as the momentum continues to build," Fürjes said in a statement.

"This is especially relevant after February next year, when we will see a much wider exposure for the bid in both domestic and international markets. As an example, we have fifteen major sport events coming up in Hungary before the IOC vote next year, including the FINA World Championships, the World Judo Championships, Finn Gold Cup and the European Youth Olympic Festival next summer."

The Budapest bid says that the latest opinion poll shows around two-thirds of Hungarians would be "proud" or "very proud" if the city won the right to host the 2024 Games.

Lacoste Joins Paris 2024 Bid

Lacoste is becoming the fourth official supplier of the Paris 2024 bid committee.

The iconic French sportswear company is already an official partner of France’s Olympic and Paralympic teams and was the supplier and designer of the country’s athletes at Rio 2016.

The founder of the company, French tennis champion Rene Lacoste, was a bronze medalist at the 1924 Games in Paris.

Lacoste is joining Air France, Groupe ADP and Societe du Grand Paris as an official supplier.

The Paris 2024 website lists 13 official partners.

LA2024 Leaders Speaking at LA84 Summit

LA2024 chairman Casey Wasserman and vice-chairman and Olympian Janet Evans are among the featured speakers at the LA84 Foundation’s 5th annual Summit on Thursday.

The Foundation’s ambition is to transform and inspire change through youth sports but it is also working to bring the Olympics back to Los Angeles for the first time since 1984.

The LA84 Foundation will soon be sharing office space with the Southern California Olympians & Paralympians (SCOP) Olympic alumni group. The two organizations announced Wednesday that the SCOP is moving its base of operations to the headquarters of the LA84 Foundation and will "collaborate with the foundation in a range of other productive ways".

The initial display of the closer relationship was a "Welcome Home Rio" reception for more than 20 athletes who participated in the recent Summer Games. LA84, SCOP and LA2024 co-hosted the event.

Written by Gerard Farek

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