For Immediate Release
ANTA Launches Champion Dragon Outfit for Chinese Athletes to
Strive for the Best at Rio Olympic Games
(Hong Kong, 29 June 2016) ANTA Sports Products Limited (“ANTA Sports” or the
“Company”, stock code: 2020), a leading sportswear company in China, unveiled the
Champion Dragon Outfit for the Chinese Sports Delegation (CSD) at the 2016 Rio
Olympic Games tonight. In attendance at the ceremony held at the Beijing National
Aquatics Center (the “Water Cube”) were Olympic champions Guo Jingjing, Zhou
Shiming, Wang Hao, Wu Jingyu, Lü Xiaojun, He Wenna and Zhang Chenglong plus
renowned fashion designer Masha Ma, who consulted on the design of the Champion
Dragon Outfit.
As a partner of the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC), ANTA Sports has designed the
Champion Dragon Outfit (the “winning outfit” which will be worn by Chinese athletes at
the Olympic Games award ceremonies in Rio if they win Olympic medals). The outfit was
unveiled at the Water Cube and modeled by 22 models and several former Olympic
champions. The presentation showcased the ability of ANTA Sports to design an outfit
that strongly resonates with the Chinese people’s passion for the Olympic Games. ANTA
Sports also launched the Olympic competition outfits for ten national teams: gymnastics,
trampolining, weightlifting, wrestling, judo, boxing, taekwondo, rowing, canoeing and
water polo. Together with its Olympic message, “Go Surprise Yourself”, the company
hopes the winning outfit will inspire the national team to show China’s prowess to the
world at the Rio Olympics in August.
Eight-year partnership witnesses China’s golden age in Olympic history
ANTA Sports has been a partner of COC since 2009 providing winning outfits for Chinese
athletes in over 30 international games, including the Vancouver Winter Olympics,
London Olympics and Sochi Winter Olympics. These outfits have consistently exhibited
the spirit of the Chinese sporting industry, forming an integral part of the golden age in
China’s Olympic history along with the Chinese athletes. For previous events, ANTA
Sports developed a range of different themes for the winning outfit, including a Chinese
knot for the Vancouver Winter Olympics, an Olympic flame for the Guangzhou Asian
Games, a champion dragon for the London Olympics and a theme of the beauty of China
for the Sochi Winter Olympics. Dedicated to providing the highest quality and most
attractive winning outfits for Chinese athletes when they step onto the podium, ANTA
Sports has played a key role in some of the greatest moments in Chinese sporting
history.
Integrating classic Chinese elements into cutting edge fashion
Well-known fashion designer Masha Ma was invited to help create the Champion
Dragon Outfit as a design consultant. With her support, ANTA Sports created an outfit
that perfectly combines Chinese tradition and modern fashion aesthetics to support the
Chinese athletes at the Rio Olympic Games.
The core concept of the outfit reflects the spirit of the dragon, a traditional totem of
Chinese society. It uses modern neon light effects combined with paper-cut art to create
the illusion of a dragon’s shadow. The body of the dragon runs in motion with the outfit,
representing an unstoppable force that inspires Olympic athletes to forge ahead and to
reach their sporting potential. The reflective effect of the dragon’s shadow represents
the idea that the dragon is shining over Rio, sending the Chinese people’s best wishes to
the athletes as they reach for Olympic glory. The torso area of the outfit is lined with
reflective silver fabric, highlighting the word “zhong” meaning “center”, which conveys
the idea that the burning heart of China will never change. There are also traditional
Chinese characters printed on the back with the Chinese flag’s five stars, expressing
strong energy and a rich sense of retro fashion.
To create a comfortable yet stylish outfit for the athletes, ANTA Sports has spent many
years tracking the performance of athletes to develop a design that does not lose its
shape when worn. The outfit is slim and straight with a stretchable fabric in the arms,
maximising comfort by giving athletes as much flexibility as possible.
Cutting edge technology with virtual reality experience at the Olympics
ANTA Sports’s Olympic slogan “Go Surprise Yourself” not only sends the company’s best
wishes to the new generation of Chinese athletes, but also encourages the Company to
push its own boundaries and to continuously innovate. ANTA Sports worked with
Samsung to create a brand new virtual reality (VR) experience through the Samsung
Galaxy S7 edge smartphone and Samsung Gear VR trial version during the ceremony.
Every attendee had the chance to enjoy a unique visual experience, making them feel
like they were at the Rio Olympic Stadium at the same time as they were watching the
launch of the Champion Dragon Outfit, and the use of mobile technology gave everyone
a distinctive Olympic experience.
In addition, the Olympic Champion Outfit for the Rio Olympic Games showcases the
most advanced clothing technology. The innovative design allows for a good amount of
adhesive force between the surface and inner fabrics, allowing excellent permeability.
The surface fabric is breathable and waterproof, and the whole outfit is easy to clean.
The inner lining has also undergone a xylitol cooling process, which will allow athletes to
feel refreshed even under the hot weather in Rio.
The material of the outfit was provided by DuPont™ biotechnology, which develops
polyester fibers from environmentally-friendly sources. The warp is made using recycled
fibers created from the reproduction of soft drink bottles; whereas the weft is made
using corn that undergoes biotechnological transformation to become the Sorona® fibre.
The entire production process of the fabric is environmentally-friendly; for example, it
uses recycled water that is produced from an energy-saving staining technique and resin
which is free of fluorine and solvents.
Mr. Ding Shizhong, Chairman and CEO of ANTA Sports, said, “In addition to making the
winning outfit for the CSD, we are also honored to provide all competition and training
outfits for China’s national teams from four Sports Management Centers, including
Boxing and Taekwondo, Gymnastics, Weight Lifting Wrestling and Judo and Water
Sports, so the athletes can perform to the best of their ability. Just as we did at the
London Olympics, we will work together with the COC to give our national teams a big
boost in Rio. ANTA Sports has always strongly supported the development of sports in
China. Carrying the torch and the spirit of the Olympics through different marketing
campaigns in China, we share a mission of providing opportunities for the general public
to experience the culture and spirit of the Olympic Games.”
Mr. Ding Shizhong, Chairman and CEO of ANTA Sports unveils the Champion Dragon
Outfit for the Rio Olympic Games to Mr. Li Yingchuan, Assistant to the Chief of General
Administration of Sport and Vice-President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, together
with Olympic Champions from China
Olympic champions Guo Jingjing, Zhou Shiming, Wang Hao, Wu Jingyu, Lü Xiaojun, He
Wenna and Zhang Chenglong unveil ANTA’s Champion Dragon Outfit for Rio Olympic
Games
-EndAbout ANTA Sports Products Limited
Established in 1994 and listed on the Main Board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2007,
ANTA Sports Products Limited (stock code: 2020.HK) is one of the leading sportswear
companies in China. For many years, we have been principally engaged in the design,
development, manufacturing and marketing of ANTA sportswear series to provide
professional sporting goods to the mass market. Our professional sportswear includes
sports shoes, apparel and accessories. In recent years, we have started moving full
steam ahead with the strategy of “Single-focus, Multi-brand, and Omni-channel” to
deepen our footprint in the sportswear market with a vibrant brand portfolio, including
ANTA, ANTA KIDS, FILA, FILA KIDS, Descente and NBA, seizing every opportunity arising
in important retail channels as a result of the successful Omni-channel strategy to
unlock the potential of mass and high-end markets in China. By integrating various
resources, including sponsorship and endorsement, advertising and promotional
campaigns, corporate social responsibility initiatives, professional store image and high
quality, value-for-money merchandise, we strive to reinforce the image of our brands
and the level of brand association in the minds of our customers. Our goal is to become
the nation’s top sportswear company with the best reputation and largest market share
in China, and a respectable and sustainable world-class sportswear company in the long
run.
Twitter: @AntaInsight
For further information, please contact:
ANTA Sports Products Limited
Investor Relations Department
Tel: (852) 2116-1660
Fax: (852) 2116-1590
E-mail:[email protected]
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Joe Pan/Adam Steinberg
Tel: (852) 3103 0110/ (86) 10 6567 5056
Email: [email protected]