GO Sport confirmed as Official Supplier to Doha 2010

DOHA, February 16, 2010 – The organising committee of the IAAF World Indoor Championships (WIC) in Athletics (Doha 2010) has confirmed GO Sport, part of the Al Mana Fashion Group, as a National Supplier to Doha 2010.

GO Sport will provide entertainment equipment for the athletes village at the official Doha 2010 Team Hotels, while also serving as the official merchandise retailer of the event. Official merchandise will be available at the GO Sport outlet at Villaggio Mall and Courir at the Landmark Mall. The company will also manage merchandise sales at the Aspire Dome, the venue of this year’s World Indoor Championships, with booths planned for the spectator areas.

GO Sport will also work alongside the WIC organising committee to set up merchandise retail spaces at the official Fan Zones planned for The Aspire Zone and Souq Waqif in Doha, in addition to helping manage the sporting activities areas of the two WIC Fan Zones.

The agreement was signed by Doha 2010 Marketing Manager Mr. Abdulrahman Al Dossari who also serves as Director of Marketing & Public Relations at the Qatar Olympic Committee, and Mr. Andrew Fairall, General Manager of GO Sport.

Mr. Al Dossari said this is an important deal which helps the organising committee extend its marketing efforts in Qatar. “The retail expertise and opportunities at key fan footfall areas provided by GO Sport gives the WIC Organising committee the ability to reach potential thousands across the country. As we approach the opening ceremony of Doha 2010, we know that fans all over Qatar have been anticipating the official release of WIC merchandise. In addition, through this agreement, we will be able to supply the Athlete villages at the official team hotels with an array of entertainment equipment.”

Mr. Fairall said: “We are honoured to support the Doha 2010 organising committee in its efforts to market the World Indoor Championships. Official merchandise retail is a significant responsibility and GO Sport is committed to providing fans with opportunities to demonstrate their support for the championships. We have activated two retail stores to include official merchandise, and will also work alongside the WIC organising committee to host running, jumping and throwing events for visitors to the Fan Zones, in addition to stocking the Fan Zones with official merchandise.”

Established in France, GO Sport currently has 178 stores in France and 38 International branches, including Qatar where it commenced operations in 2008. GO Sport Qatar is one of 5 Middle Eastern branches and is the biggest multi-brand store in Qatar carrying all the top international brands as well as its own GO Sport label. In addition to retail sales, the company provides services such as printing on apparel, stringing rackets, bicycle maintenance, and gym equipment for home and commercial use.

Doha 2010 will attract the biggest names in athletics and will draw visitors from around the world and official merchandise is a major draw for fans internationally. Inspired by its campaign slogan of “Challenging the Limits”, the organising committee has commenced the roll out of its campaign to bring visitors to the very first world athletics series event being held in Qatar. The marketing campaign has already begun to brand the City of Doha in orange, the official colour of Doha 2010.

Mr. Al Dossari says:  “Integral to making this event a success is the support of our fans, which is why we have established social media pages on Facebook and Twitter where fans can follow our activities and receive updates to all Fan Zone activities and other events involving the community. We urge everyone to visit the official WIC Website to find links to these pages. We will also be distributing official merchandise to lucky fans on Facebook and Twitter.”

The IAAF World Indoor Championships are also supported globally by Official IAAF Partners Adidas, Samsung, Seiko, TDK, VTB, TBS and Official IAAF Suppliers Mondo. The WIC Organising committee has in the past few weeks also confirmed Qatar Insurance Company (QIC) and q.media Decaux as National Partners, with Virgin Megastores and Gulf Warehousing Company as National Suppliers.