Last Updated: 2024.11.12
UNIQLO Extends Official Supplier Contract with Swedish Curling Association
UNIQLO CO., LTD.
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UNIQLO today announces it will extend its Official Supplier Agreement with the Swedish Curling Association for another year. From November 16, UNIQLO will provide Sweden's athletes and officials with competition wear and around 20 styles of casual apparel for international competitions. These include the Le Gruyère AOP European Curling Championships in Finland and Sweden later this month.
From December 13-15, 2024, UNIQLO will be Premier Partner for the Karuizawa International 2024 curling tournament in Nagano Prefecture, and will host the UNIQLO DREAM PROJECT Junior Curling Clinic at Karuizawa Ice Park on the day before that event. Four world-class teams, including Sweden's elite Team Edin and Team Hasselborg, will participate as instructors.
Team Hasselborg members sporting their new competition apparel
This season, the Swedish Curling Association's men's, women's, mixed doubles, wheelchair curling, and junior teams will all compete internationally in UNIQLO LifeWear items. The Swedish team apparel offers prized stretchability and improves fit and comfort with a wider soft ribbed T-shirt collar and adjusted zipper position. UNIQLO is also providing new long-sleeve AIRism innerwear to maximize comfort in cold rink conditions.
Koji Yanai, Group Senior Executive Officer at Fast Retailing, commented, "We are delighted to support Sweden's curling teams with high-performance UNIQLO clothing. In addition, we are honored to support the Karuizawa International 2024 tournament, featuring the world's top curlers, for a second consecutive year. Together with the Swedish Curling Association and its athletes, we aim to inspire a love of curling, and sports in general, among as many children as possible."
Michael Marklund, President of the Swedish Curling Association, said, "UNIQLO helped our men's and women's teams achieve excellent results last season. We appreciate its commitment to listening to player and coach feedback, and to refining its outstanding apparel for our needs. We look forward to even better performances and results this season with the updated gear."
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Niklas Edin, captain of the Swedish national men's team, commented, "We have been truly satisfied with UNIQLO's apparel since the Beijing Winter Olympics, and we're thrilled to wear it again this season. We are excited to compete in the Karuizawa International tournament and participate in the curling clinic. The skill level of the Japanese kids last year was truly impressive, and we gained a lot from the experience. We look forward to engaging with them again this year."
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Anna Hasselborg, captain of the Swedish national women's team, said, "We are thrilled to compete on the world stage again this season in UNIQLO apparel. The stretch in the pants and leggings is fantastic, and there's no doubt that the functionality boosts our performance. I am overjoyed to be back in Karuizawa and competing in Japan, a country I love. I hope many people come out to watch us play!"
Overview of UNIQLO DREAM PROJECT Junior Curling Clinic
| Date | : | December 12, 5:00pm-6:00pm (reception opens at 4:30 pm)* |
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| Venue | : | Karuizawa Ice Park |
| Participants | : | Year 3-12 students from curling clubs, youth leagues, curling schools, and academies |
| Instructors | : | Women from Team Hasselborg (Sweden), Team Sturmay (Canada), and Team Tirinzoni (Switzerland), and men from Team Edin (Sweden) |
| Program | : | Group lessons with the above teams for juniors from Karuizawa and Miyota. |
*Please note that the clinic is not open to members of the general public.
More information about the UNIQLO partnership with the Swedish national team and on last year's event is available at: https://www.uniqlo.com/jp/en/contents/feature/ambassador/team-sweden/
Official tournament merchandise available from November 12 through UNIQLO's UTme! market
Following the success of 2023, T-shirts, tote bags, and other items feature comic-style designs. White and black pieces are perfect for competition and leisure. Scheduled release: November 12.
Special site: https://utme.uniqlo.com/jp/front/mkt/show?id=984057&locale=ja
About Karuizawa International 2024
Held annually since 1999 at Karuizawa, this is Japan's longest-running international curling tournament. The 2024 event from December 13 through 15 will feature 16 top men's and women's teams from Italy, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, South Korea, and Japan. As Premier Partner for the 2024 tournament for the second straight year, UNIQLO is fostering curling and the future of that sport. Special site: https://karuizawa-icurling.jp/
About Team Edin
Members are Niklas Edin (skip), Oskar Eriksson (third), Rasmus Wranå (second), Christoffer Sundgren (lead), and Daniel Magnusson (reserve). The team won Bronze at Sochi 2014, Silver at PyeongChang 2018, and Gold at Beijing 2022, and is atop the men's world curling standings.
About Team Hasselborg
The members are Anna Hasselborg (skip), Sara McManus (third), Agnes Knochenhauer (second), Sofia Mabergs (lead) and Johanna Heldin (reserve). The team won Gold at PyeongChang 2018 and Bronze at Beijing 2022, solidifying its position as one of the premier women's curling outfits.
