Shell and Sony Sponsor Qatar’s Emir’s Cup Soccer Tournament

The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has announced that leading oil company Shell renew its sponsorship deal prior to the start of the Emir’s Cup, Qatar’s most prestigious and popular soccer tournament.

In other news, retail chain Fifty One East, through electronics brand Sony, will also sponsor the tournaments 2011, 2012 and 2013 editions.

Shell’s agreement is part of a renewed commitment to support Qatar’s national game, returning to the month-long tournament as its platinum sponsor for the sixth consecutive year.

According to the Gulf Times, Shell’s sponsorship of the 2011 Emir’s Cup will include ‘activation events to be held at malls throughout Doha promoting the sport and encouraging youth to participate.’

QFA president, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani stated: “We are always pleased by Shell’s continued support of the Emir’s Cup in their sponsorship and in the promotion of the tournament through their activations. This year the tournament will prove to be one of the most exciting to date, and I sincerely hope that all fans of the national sport will come to the stadiums and support their teams.”

Shell executive vice president, Andy Brown, added: “We are always keen on supporting Qatar’s sporting ambitions, especially when it comes to Qatar’s national sport of football. In line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, our aim is to promote the biggest tournament in the country and contribute to the human development pillar. I look forward to an exciting tournament, and hope that it encourages the Qatari youth to participate in more sports.”

Sheikh Hamad spoke of the deal with Fifty One East, continuing: “We’re very happy to have Sony and Fifty One East on board as it shows their true commitment to support QFA’s football events. We, at QFA, share common underlying value with Fifty One East and the objective to turn the Emir’s Cup into an iconic football tournament that demonstrates the passion of the Qatari population for sports – that’s why we consider Sony and Fifty One East as one of our key partners.”