June 10, 2024

At the signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote sports for individuals with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics Korea President Lee Yong-hoon (right) and Nassau Chairman Ju Eun-hyung pose for a commemorative photo. ⓒSpecial Olympics Korea

[SPOTV News = Reporter Jung Hyung-geun] On June 10, Special Olympics Korea (President Lee Yong-hoon) announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korean sports brand Nassau (Chairman Ju Eun-hyung) to promote the development of sports for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

The signing ceremony was held at InTimes Inn in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, with key executives and staff from both organizations, including President Lee and Chairman Ju, in attendance.

Through this agreement, both organizations committed to actively pursuing joint initiatives including: ▲raising public awareness and improving perceptions of individuals with intellectual disabilities, ▲providing product support to enhance training and competition environments for Special Olympics athletes, and ▲mutual promotion and cooperation between the two institutions to ensure effective implementation of the partnership.

Going beyond simply providing sports equipment, Special Olympics Korea and Nassau agreed to work together on a variety of initiatives to enhance the physical capabilities and social skills of people with intellectual disabilities and promote the vision of an inclusive society free from discrimination.

As their first joint initiative, Nassau will sponsor official match balls for the sports of unified football, unified basketball, and unified volleyball at the 2024 Special Olympics Korea International Unified Sports Games, which will be held in Inje, Gangwon Province on June 14.

President Lee Yong-hoon expressed his gratitude, stating, “I sincerely thank Chairman Ju Eun-hyung and all the Nassau representatives for their enthusiastic support and interest in helping reveal the hidden potential of athletes with intellectual disabilities. Based on our shared vision of achieving peaceful and healthy lives through fair play in sports, we will continue working closely with Nassau to advance sports for individuals with intellectual disabilities.”

Chairman Ju Eun-hyung remarked, “We will spare no effort in supporting Special Olympics athletes so that they can train and compete in better environments. I hope more individuals with intellectual disabilities will discover their potential and gain opportunities to communicate with society through sports.”

Nassau Co., Ltd. is a South Korean sports equipment company that manufactures and distributes gear for sports such as tennis, soccer, volleyball, and basketball. It aims to spread the joy and value of sports to help all people achieve peaceful and healthy lives.

Special Olympics Korea is a nonprofit organization that supports sports and cultural activities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. It strives to build an inclusive society without discrimination by offering sustainable opportunities for participation and experience.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Special Olympics Korea International Unified Sports Games, set to be held on June 14 in Inje County, Gangwon Province, will bring together unified sports teams from five East Asian countries?Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Mongolia?to compete in five sports: unified basketball, unified volleyball, unified football, unified floorball, and unified badminton.

Reporter Jung Hyung-geun | jhg@spotvnews.co.kr

Source: SPOTV NEWS