News On 8 March this year IWC, together with Mercedes-Benz, became the main sponsor of Laureus, an organisation formed in 2000 which represents the Laureus World Sports Academy, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the Laureus World Sports Awards. The latter, conferred in recognition of exceptional performance, are the only awards in which all sporting disciplines are represented. They will be presented this year on 15 May in Estoril (Portugal).
Headed by two-times Olympic 400 m hurdles champion Edwin Moses, the Laureus World Sports Academy is a unique association that brings together 40 of the greatest sportsmen and women of all time to honour the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards. These sporting legends also act as ambassadors within the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation which, through sport, supports underprivileged young people in a network of more than 30 projects worldwide.
The General Manager of the Schaffhouse manufactory, Georges Kern, is naturally delighted with this new partnership: "It is an honour to be associated with Laureus. Here we are collaborating with an organisation which, through so many legendary sportsmen and women, embodies and promotes the true ethic of sport. For the good of sport, we are going to work with them and contribute to the development of an increasing number of projects within the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation."
For his part, Johann Rupert, chairman of the Richemont finance company, declared: "IWC is a dynamic firm that will make an important contribution to the development of Laureus. The latter has grown considerably over the last five years and has, particularly thanks to the support of the Academy’s sporting legends, enormous potential to carry out good deeds all over the world. Cartier will maintain its support for Laureus by manufacturing the Awards statuette, which is recognised increasingly as an international symbol of exceptional sporting performance."
Our photo shows, from left to right: Burghard Graf Vitzthum, head of communication at DaimlerChrysler, former tennis star and member of the Laureus Academy Boris Becker, and Georges Kern, General Manager of the Schaffhouse watch manufacturer.
April 12, 2005
