Business of Sport: Time to make a difference for IWC and Laureus

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  • Henrik Ekdahl of IWC (l) and Laureus Sport for Good chairman, Edwin Moses.

    The great and the good of world sport gathered for the star-studded ceremony in the German capital and since 2006, IWC Schaffhausen, the luxury Swiss watch manufacturer, have been supporting sporting charity Laureus annually by launching a special timepiece to raise vital funds.

    The close relationship between the two, which actually started one year earlier in 2005, has blossomed and it has the seal of approval by many, including Germany’s World Cup-winning manager Joachim Low, who is a long-time IWC supporter.

    Indeed, the famed coach took time out from Euro 2016 preparations with the national side to cast his eye over the new edition, the Portofino Automatic Moon Phase 37, at its exclusive launch ahead of Germany’s first hosting of the awards, and he agreed the two make a “nice combination”.

    “I think it’s the most important thing that we can do, help children through sport and it’s very important for their education,” Low told Sport360°. “The work of Laureus and the IWC enables kids to develop teamwork, build skills and grow their personality.”

    Sharing a common vision: Germany national team boss Low (l) and IWC’s Ekdahl.

    Sharing a common vision: Germany national team boss Low (l) and IWC’s Ekdahl.

    IWC’s link with Laureus has provided the brand with the opportunity to get involved heavily in corporate social responsibility and respond to the challenges of today.

    “We want to give back something to the society in which we live in and socially challenge children to have a better future through sport,”

    Henrik Ekdahl, managing director of IWC Northern Europe, said. “Our decade-long relationship with Laureus is something very special and the watch isn’t just a normal timepiece, it tells the story and makes you feel good, supporting Laureus. There’s just 1,500 available worldwide.

    “Mr Low’s developed a friendship with the IWC and we are very happy that he joins on these occasions because he is an icon in Germany and is so interested in what we are doing,” added Ekdahl, who has been involved for eight years on Laureus’ board of directors in Germany and Austria.

    The most unique part of the watch is its design, which each year features a drawing engravement on the case back, designed by a competition entrant – a child participating in one of many Laureus projects worldwide. It’s an acknowledgement that certainly gives the product a personal edge.

    Centred around this year’s theme, ‘Time for Sport’, 16-yearold Eleni Partakki from Cyprus won the winning design, drawing an image of a group of boys and girls playing with a ball.

    Portofino-timepiece-Laureus-IWC

    Eleni is involved with PeacePlayers International Cyprus (PPI), a project that actively encourages Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot boys and girls living in the divided Cyprus to play basketball together.

    “It’s a very beautiful and visible sign of our commitment towards Laureus and part of the turnover we make is used to support Laureus projects. It’s a rather small watch, very elegant and features the distinctive and unmistakable Laureus blue colour on the dial.

    It’s the elegant companion to the smaller wrist,” Ekdahl said.

    Laureus’ solid work on the ground in Berlin was evident and several stars, including footballing icons Cafu and Raul Gonzalez, paid a visit to The BASE Berlin, an urban-supported project.

    Youngsters, most from underprivileged backgrounds, were involved in what can only be described as a festival of sport – the Laureus Sport for Good Jam.

    Activities included girls and boys football, boxing and skateboarding – creating in the process an electric atmosphere, aided by the soundtrack of inner-city musicians.

    “One young man who benefited from BASE had problems in education and we thought he wouldn’t finish his studies but through sport he learnt, worked hard and finished with the best grade. He is now training to be a pilot,” said Paul Schif, director at the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in Germany.

    “And for these youngsters, it’s all about having role models and most of Laureus’ ambassadors also come from backgrounds that are not that easy. But they developed through sports and it changed their life, that’s what we want them to show to the kids. We want them to tell them it makes sense to train hard, to believe in what you can do and teach values which is incredibly important.”

    Away from awe-inspiring projects, the glitz and glamour of a star-studded awards night featuring the most recognizable faces from around the globe is quite a contrast.

    However, Laureus Academy chairman and two-time Olympic hurdles gold medallist Edwin Moses was keen to point out that the once-a-year get-together rightly celebrates sport at the highest level, but the work that goes into grassroots initiatives on a year-round basis is by far the most important and significant.

    And he believes spending the evening in the company of modern day greats like Novak Djokovic, who scooped the men’s Sportsman of the Year accolade and legends of the Laureus Academy, underline what the charity is all about – using the power of sport to bring people together.

    “I spend 90 per cent of my time on foundation matters, that’s all I do and essentially that’s what the academy members are there to do, to participate in the foundation and help us raise money so that is the real purpose of Laureus,” Moses, now 60, said.

    “The awards are like a birthday party and an occasion to celebrate high-performance sport. All the activities of the foundation, our academy and ambassadors are geared towards improving the lives of young people around the world.

    “We started in 2000 with two donations and as of the end of 2015 we’ve raised and given away €100 million so that’s tremendous progress and that’s what we’re proud of.”

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