Hyundai to transport all teams during 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in tailor-made buses

With 7 days to go, Hyundai South Africa is prepared to handle the transportation of all 32 participating teams for the duration of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ n South Africa in specially built luxury buses.

At the official handover ceremony on 20 May, Hyundai introduced the Hyundai Universe Express Noble right-hand drive luxury coaches that have been specially manufactured for use during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. All 32 national team buses have been decorated with national team colours, flags and the winning slogan of the ‘Be There with Hyundai’ competition, a unique global initiative run by Hyundai that called for the public to submit slogans for their own team buses. The winning slogan, of the South African bus is; ‘One nation, proudly united under one rainbow.’
 
Hyundai is involved in a number of sponsorships set to enhance the world cup experience for fans throughout the world. On Saturday 5 June, is the Hyundai Goodwill Ball Carnival to celebrate the return of all the Hyundai Goodwill Balls to South Africa followed by a free concert with performances from Lira and Watershed, while competitions like ‘Be there with Hyundai’, and the ‘Hyundai Fan of the Match’ offer fans the opportunity to be part of the world cup excitement on a larger scale. Hyundai is also sponsoring the highly prestigious Hyundai Best Young Player Award for the first time this year. Judged by the FIFA Technical Study Group, the award is given to the best player of the tournament who is under 21-years of age on July 11 2010. Last tournament saw Germany’s Lukas Podolski scoop up the honour.  

Hyundai South Africa is also determined that their involvement will leave a lasting legacy for South Africa. Together with the Lapdesk Company, they will distribute 7 000 lapdesks to learners across the county and provide an opportunity for the children to attend a 2010 FIFA World CupTM match as part of their ticket fund allocation. Ross says, “It is the responsibility of all FIFA sponsors to ensure that the positive impact of the tournament is felt long after the final whistle has blown.”

Hyundai has enjoyed an eleven year strong association with FIFA, during which the company has demonstrated itself to be a reliable and effective partner by serving as the official automotive supplier to all FIFA-sanctioned events around the world. The company has extended its strategic sponsorship agreement with FIFA to cover both the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. Sean Kim, CEO of Hyundai Motor Automotive says, “We are proud to partner with FIFA during these historic football events. The opportunity to provide VIP transport at this year's tournament gives us the high visibility we need in Africa to build wider awareness of our brand and our products.”

After signing the giant four meter high Hyundai Goodwill Ball just outside the National Assembly building at the Houses of Parliament last month, Dr. Danny Jordaan said, “You cannot host an event like this if you don’t have commercial partners. It’s the lifeblood of the event. Events like these require vision, commitment and support from companies like Hyundai.”

Go to www.hyundai.com or www.hyundai.co.za or join the Hyundai SA fan page on Facebook to follow Hyundai for the duration of the tournament.