Shah Alam, 15 December 2011 - As the Olympic Council Malaysia (OCM)’s official partner, Carlsberg Malaysia announced its annual sponsorship of RM 30,000 for the year 2011 through the OCM-Carlsberg Athletes Retirement Scheme, as part of Carlsberg Malaysia’s long term commitment in giving back to society.

To date, the retirement scheme has a total insurance coverage of RM3.075 million for 88 Malaysian athletes, whom have made the country proud by winning medals at the past Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.

For 17 consecutive years, Carlsberg Malaysia has been partnering with OCM in providing the OCM-Carlsberg Athletes Retirement Scheme which serves to protect deserving Malaysian athletes with life insurance coverage. The scheme also aims to incentivise and motivate athletes to excel and strive for greater heights. This year, the brewer has again pledged to continue to support the retirement scheme and the development of Malaysian sports.

Carlsberg Malaysia Contributes for the Development of Local Sports

This year marks a new milestone for Carlsberg Malaysia. Through its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility programme for the community – the Top Ten Charity Campaign, Carlsberg Malaysia provided the platform and helped raise RM 1.0 million funds for the development of the Wushu Federation of Malaysia. Two of Malaysian Wushu athletes – Ho Ro Bin, the country’s WuShu master and Chai Fong Yin, the World’s WuShu Champion, are also the beneficiaries of OCM-Carlsberg Athletes Retirement Scheme.

“With the London 2012 Olympics in July next year, we believe that this policy would encourage our Malaysian sportsmen and sportswomen to strive harder. Carlsberg Malaysia is privilege to have the opportunity to promote and contribute towards the development of local sports,” Soren Ravn, Managing Director of Carlsberg Malaysia said.

Y.A.M. Tunku Tan Sri Imran ibni Tuanku Ja’afar, the President of Olympic Council of Malaysia said: “Our partnership (with Carlsberg Malaysia) is quite unique and special, in that the financial support from Carlsberg Malaysia goes entirely to a retirement scheme for outstanding national athletes, who have won medals at the Olympic Games and Gold medals at the Asian and Commonwealth Games.”

Malaysian Athletes Shared Their Dreams for an Outstanding Game

Also present at the significant 17th year presentation was the Honorary Secretary of OCM, Dato’ Sieh Kok Chee, Executive Director of the Foundation for Malaysian Sporting Excellence, Sivanandan Chinnadurai and Malaysian retirement scheme athletes namely Alex Liew (Bowling), Sharon Koh (Bowling), Chai Fong Ying (Wushu), R. Purvaneswaran (Karate), Pandelela Rinong (Diving), Bibiana Ng (Shooting). The badminton team members too, joined the other athletes from Wushu Federation of Malaysia to liven the presentation.

A special video presentation was played to acknowledge the efforts and dedication of the athletes who were awarded gold medals at the previous Olympic Games whilst encouraging the future and present athletes to excel. The video was followed by a session of sharing experiences by the present athletes whom shared that there are confident and has aimed to win gold medals at the Olympics 2012 to reign as World Champions.

Action Packed 2012 Sports Year for Carlsberg Malaysia

In conjunction to the mock cheque presentation, Managing Director of Carlsberg Malaysia, Soren Ravn and Y.A.M. Tunku Tan Sri Imran ibni Tuanku Ja’afar, President of Olympic Council of Malaysia wished the fellow athletes who will be participating in the London 2012 Olympics next year their best with hopes that they will return to Malaysia as World Champions of their respective sport. They also added that the Malaysian team had a fine set of athletes who makes the country proud and look forward to the games next year.

Soren also shared Carlsberg’s sponsorship for EURO 2012 – a highly anticipated football match which will kick off in June 2012. “With the London Olympics 2012 and EURO 2012, year 2012 will surely be an action packed sports year ahead.” He said. For more info, please visit www.carlsbergmalaysia.com.my

About OCM - Carlsberg Athletes Retirement Scheme

•  Carlsberg Malaysia sponsored the OCM-Carlsberg Athletes Retirement Scheme since 1994. OCM-Carlsberg Athletes Retirement Scheme was created to provide a retirement scheme in form of Whole Life Insurance Policy for athletes who won gold medals in Asian and Commonwealth Games and any medals in the Olympics.

Objective

•  To ensure the athletes are protected and insured after retirement or disability.

The Value of the Whole Life Insurance Policy

• Athletes who won the gold medals, in the individual events, at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games will each b provided with a whole life policy of value RM50,000; For members of a Doubles team, each member of the gold winning teams will be provided with a whole life policy of RM25,000; For gold medal winning teams, with more than 2 members, each member of the team will be provided with whole life policy of value RM10,000.

• Athletes who won gold, silver and bronze medals, in individual events, at the Olympic Games, will be provided with a whole life policy of value RM160,000, RM80,000 or RM40,000 respectively. For members of medal winning teams, the value of each policy will be value of individual medal, divided equally by the number of team members.

• Athletes shall be provided with one whole life policy for one Game, irrespective of the number of medals won and athletes winning medals at subsequent Olympic, Asian and Commonwealth Games will be provided with additional policies.