Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Jean-Marc Pailhol, Head of Market Management and Distribution of Allianz SE, signed an agreement today that cements the partnership between the IPC and financial services provider Allianz.
“Allianz has been a hugely proactive and loyal partner who has been with the IPC for over 10 years now. I truly believe our partnership is making a difference to this world and I am excited that we have signed a letter of intent to extend our partnership for a further four years”, says Sir Philip Craven.
“Allianz is proud to support the Paralympic Movement to foster public awareness and generate a greater interest in Paralympic sport and the topic of inclusion,“ says Jean-Marc Pailhol. “We aim to contribute to building a more equitable society where all people have equal opportunities.“
The partnership is a strong signal for growing mutual understanding and an increasing awareness of the special strengths of people with disabilities. Apart from the global cooperation, 14 Allianz entities support local National Paralympic Committees in Australia, Argentina, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece and Hungary as well as Mexico, Ireland, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland and the UK.
Allianz supports Independent Paralympic Athletes Team of refugees and asylum seekers
Allianz will also support the Independent Paralympic Athletes (IPA) Team with travel insurance for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games as well as onsite in Rio de Janeiro. Werner Zedelius, Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE, particularly highlights: “Giving Paralympic athletes with asylum or refugee status the opportunity to compete in Rio means a lot to us at Allianz and fits perfectly with our commitment and dedication. I have always been inspired by the motivation of all Paralympic athletes in their quest for excellence. Those among them who are currently without a home country have even greater barriers to transcend.”
In addition to its partnership with the IPC Allianz is taking part in the #FillTheSeats campaign by supporting 3,000 children and people with an impairment to attend the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. The campaign was initiated by Greg Nugent, the former Marketing Director of London 2012 and aims to bring 20,000 Brazilian children and people with an impairment to the Paralympic stadiums. This contribution will help to spread the Paralympic idea and to create a more inclusive society.
Apart from offering financial support, Allianz has been creating awareness campaigns for Paralympic sports and inviting Paralympians to the company to hold motivational sessions for employees, managers, agents and clients, thus increasing the number of Paralympic Ambassadors around the world. With this approach Allianz is aiming to defy potential barriers and to show that people with an impairment are an equal part of the society.
The new four-year agreement will span a full Paralympic Games cycle, including Allianz’ support of National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) on their way to the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games and Tokyo 2020 Summer Games.
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