German financial services company Allianz has renewed its sponsorship agreement with the World Para Athletics division of the International Paralympic Committee until the end of 2018, with the option of a further extension through to 2020.
Allianz is currently sponsoring the ongoing World Para Athletics Championships in London, England. Under the new agreement, the company will also support next year’s European Championships in Berlin, Germany.
Allianz became the first global partner of World Para Athletics in 2014. The IPC said that since the end of 2013 the number of licensed athletes around the world has grown from 3,770 in 114 countries to 4,702 in 157 countries by the end of last year.
During the same period the number of visitors to the World Para Athletics website has grown by 193 per cent, with the body’s social media following having increased by 177 per cent. IPC president Sir Philip Craven said: “It is no coincidence that since Allianz became a global partner of World Para Athletics, the sport has enjoyed tremendous growth in all areas.
“Allianz’s support enables us to not only increase the resources we can dedicate to the sport, but it provides us with a fantastic platform to grow interest and awareness of para athletics around the world. We look forward to continuing our excellent work with Allianz in the coming years.”
Allianz also supports national Paralympic committees in Argentina, Australia, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, Slovakia, Sri Lanka and Switzerland.