Global water instinct brand arena has once again been appointed Official Supplier of Aquatics Wear to the England Commonwealth Games Team for the 21st edition of the Games to be held on Australia’s Gold Coast from 4-15 April, 2018. The agreement includes the supply of the company’s industry-leading product range of competition and training swimsuits, goggles and swim caps, and follows a successful first collaboration at the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, where Team England won 28 medals in the pool, including 10 gold, out of 44 total events.
“We’re very pleased to be continuing our partnership with Team England, the overall leading nation from the 2014 Games,” said Luca Belogi, arena’s General Manager of sales. “They demonstrated in Glasgow that they’re a powerhouse in the pool, and we expect they’ll once again be extremely competitive in 2018. The UK, and England in particular, is a strategic market for us, and this partnership is emblematic of our commitment to swimming there, not only at the highest level, but throughout all levels of the sport. We are optimistic that our continued investment will bear fruit for both Team England and arena as we look forward what promises to be an eventful two years.”
“It is great news that we will continue our relationship with arena for the Gold Coast games,” said Team England CEO, Paul Blanchard. “The athletes were delighted with the quality of products and service in Glasgow and this represents another step in Team England’s commitment to provide the best possible environment for our athletes so that we deliver the best ever prepared team.”
arena’s connections with swimming in the UK go back many years. Today, the company’s grassroots initiatives in the UK include sponsorship of The National Arena Swimming League and the Arena Junior Inter-League.
The Commonwealth Games have been held every four years since 1930 (except for 1942 and 1946), and in 2018 is expected to include athletes from 70 nations. Since the first edition, which featured teams from 11 nations competing in six sports, the event has grown into the third-largest multi-sport event in the world (behind the Olympics and Asian Games), with over 6,600 athletes competing in 18 sports and 7 para disciplines. Next year’s edition is the fifth time Australia will play host to the Games, which will feature 50 swimming events in the pool – six more than 2014 – at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.
arena is also producing a replica kit collection of Team England’s official kit, which includes racing suits, training suits, and swim caps. The replica kit will be available to Team England fans and consumers from March, 2018.
“We are really pleased to support the renewal of the relationship between arena and Team England, solidifying arena’s position in the UK competitive swim market,” said Debbie Poulson, Marketing Manager for Solo Sports Brands Ltd, arena’s representative in the UK. “We are extremely proud to be associated with Team England and believe that arena can make a material contribution that will complement the hard work and dedication shown by Team England athletes.”