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7 September 2015
Sport for Tomorrow Consortium

Sport for Tomorrow programme provides support to the development of sport in Mongolia,
and to the Mongolian Special Olympics table tennis team,in a successful collaboration with member organisations

Photo by the Autism Association of Mongolia

The Sport for Tomorrow programme,*1 a Japanese government-initiated programme to promoteinternational cooperation through sport, extended support to the development of sport inMongolia, including a project to assist the Mongolian Special Olympics table tennis team, which
qualified for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games.
The Sport for Tomorrow project in Mongolia has provided equipment to approximately 1,400
students in four special schools in Ulan Bator. This has resulted in many local children, who had
been required to travel to other venues to play sport, now being able to play sport at their own
schools and enjoy the benefits of sport on a daily basis.
This support project was organised by three member companies of the Sport for Tomorrow
Consortium: the Japan Table Tennis Association, table tennis equipment maker Nippon Takkyu
Co., Ltd., and athletic equipment and sportswear company ASICS. The Sport for Tomorrowprogramme aims to bring together public and private sector organisations to collaborate on avariety of projects by launching the Sport for Tomorrow Consortium that plays a key role infacilitating member organisation collaborations. This project is a prime example of a successful
collaboration that the Consortium was set up to achieve.

■Sport for Tomorrow Consortium
http://www.sport4tomorrow.jp/

The project began as a response to a request for assistance from the Autism Association ofMongolia, a local NGO that supports autistic children and their parents. Sport for Tomorrow
Consortium member the Japan Table Tennis Association, contacted Nippon Takkyu Co., Ltd.
and ASICS with a view to working together on the project, and both companies readily agreed.
Nippon Takkyu Co., Ltd. donated several items of equipment and provided other equipment atdiscounted rates, while ASICS donated equipment, raised funds to cover export fees andprovided uniforms for the members of the Mongolian Special Olympics team that took part in the2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games at Los Angeles, America.

Photo by The Jigoro Kano Memorial International Sport InstituteThis support also encompassed the enhancement of the overall domestic sports environment fortable tennis in Mongolia. Together, the Autism Association of Mongolia, Japan’s governing bodyfor table tennis, and two Japanese private sector companies were able to form a private-public
initiative to provide assistance that transcended mere business interests.
On 25 July 2015, the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games were officially opened in
Los Angeles, with approximately 7,000 athletes from 177 countries taking part. Four Mongolian
table tennis players, proudly wearing their ASICS-donated national uniforms, also participated in
the Games, obtaining a gold, silver and bronze medal.
Altangerel Lkhagvajav, executive officer of the Autism Association of Mongolia, was delighted
with the result of the Sport for Tomorrow project: “We really appreciate everyone's efforts torespond to our request for table-tennis tables for our special schools, as well as the Olympic
standard equipment and the team uniforms. Of course, the coaching and practice sessions wereimportant, but I think that being able to practice on Olympic standard table-tennis tables wasparticularly effective. Now that we have outstanding training facilities, we are determined toexpand the scope of our activities and aim for more medals in the future.”■Sport for Tomorrow Consortium
http://www.sport4tomorrow.jp/

Motoi Oyama, President and CEO of ASICS remarked, “The project brought together private
sector companies, sport federations, NGOs, universities and local governments, and provided an
excellent platform for us to make a meaningful contribution to the international community
through sport. We look forward to the opportunity of being able to contribute to sports further inthe lead up to 2020.”
For further inquiries, please contact:
Weber Shandwick
Email：sportfortomorrow@webershandwick.com
About the Sport for Tomorrow Programme (*1):
The Sport for Tomorrow programme is one of the Japanese government’s commitments toleveraging the power of sport and further promoting the Olympic and Paralympic movements tocreate a brighter future for people throughout the world. The programme aims to implement avariety of sporting events and activities that will engage over ten million people in over 100
countries spanning a seven-year period, culminating in 2020. This will enable Japan to achieve
its objectives of providing assistance to developing countries, training future sports leaders atnew international sports academies, and protecting both athletes and the integrity of sport bypromoting global anti-doping initiatives. In 2014, the Sport for Tomorrow programme engaged
some 520,000 worldwide people through its various activities.
About the Sport for Tomorrow Consortium:
The Sport for Tomorrow Consortium was launched in August 2014 in order to align theconcerned organisations in both the public and private sectors with a common vision. Chaired byrepresentatives of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the consortium’s Steering Committee is made up ofkey members of the Japanese sporting community with the remit of making the optimal use ofexisting resources. The Japan Sport Council served as its secretariat.
Autism Association of Mongolia
Established in 2013, the Autism Association of Mongolia is an NGO that provides support toautistic children, adults and their families, and works to improve the environment surrounding
autism in Mongolia. Ms. Altangerel Lkhagvajav, the executive officer of the organization,completed a doctorate in law, nature environment and agriculture at Japan’s Tohoku University,and currently dedicates her services to enhancing living environments for all disabled children inMongolia.
###■Sport for Tomorrow Consortium
http://www.sport4tomorrow.jp/