Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

[RC] President's Cup - Press release - Steph Teeter

Here's the next press release for the Feb 20 President's Cup event. Seems an
entirely different sport from the one we've been recently discussing on
Ridecamp...

Steph

=====
$50,000 first prize competition for The President?s Cup

www.alwathba5.com


Organisers of The President?s Cup today revealed details of a $100,000
free-to-enter competition for the general public, developed around the 160
kilometer classic Endurance race on February 20.

Al Wathba 5 sets a probing question in asking members of the public to
predict the first five finishers in The President?s Cup, a grueling race
which is traditionally one of the most testing and difficult to call.
Despite the unpredictable nature of the race, a $50,000 cash first prize is
expected to attract a bumper entry.

"Attracting widespread, international attention for Endurance is the first
step toward developing a public profile for the sport. Until people
understand and embrace Endurance, we can never hope to be a major mainstream
sport and less still fulfil our dream of taking Endurance to the Olympic
Games," stated Ali Jassim, director at Emirates International endurance
Village, venue of The President?s Cup. "HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al
Nahyan conceptualised this competition as a means of attracting interest."

The www.alwathba5.com competition runs complimentary to regional television
coverage provided by Showtime Sport, which is airing eight and a half hours
of The President?s Cup live in what is possibly the longest outside
broadcast production ever in the UAE. In addition, a global Webcast of the
race will be transmitted on www.presidents-cup.com.

"Al Wathba 5 is an international competition in ever sense of the word. Both
web sites are being promoted globally through a targeted email campaign to
80,000 followers of equestrian sports worldwide," explained Lara Marrouchi
of Media Prima, the firm handling marketing at Emirates International
Endurance Village. "Our intention is to generate viewers for the Webcast,
but also to ensure that people enter the competition, follow the progress of
the race and thereby gain insight into this beautiful sport."

A total of 10 prizes are on offer to those who get closest to a correct
prediction of The President?s Cup top five finishers:

                                       1st             $50,000 cash
                                       2nd             42-inch PDP
                                       3rd             54 inch projection TV
                                       4th             15 inch LCD TV
                                       5th             29 inch Flatron TV
                                       6th             DVD Home Theatre System
                                       7th             DVD Player
                                       8th             G5200 Mobile Phone
                                       9th             W3000 Mobile Phone
                                       10th            B1200 Mobile Phone

LG Electronics is the major sponsor of Al Wathba 5. "Endurance racing is
beginning to capture the public?s attention in the Middle East with so many
riders from this region dominating the world scene," said Mr. P.C. Choi,
President, LG Electronics Gulf FZE. "LG has a long history of sports related
marketing and we hope our contribution to the 2003 The President?s Cup will
aid the further development of the sport in the region.

"The UAE has top-class endurance riders and horses, and is fast becoming the
envy of the world for continually achieving podium finishes in this
demanding sport,? he added.

Fax entry forms for Al Wathba 5 will appear in Al Ittihad and Khaleej Times
over the next three days.  Entries close at midnight on Wednesday 19, around
six and a half hours before the 160-kilometer race is scheduled to get
underway in Abu Dhabi. A full list of winners will be published on the
www.alwathba5.com website as soon as possible after the race.

Thursday?s 160-kilometer President?s Cup is being sponsored by Emirates,
Damas, Mercedes Benz, Khaleej Times, LG Electronics and Endurance World
magazine.




=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=