Sonova supports the founding of an inclusive soccer club
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Sonova supports the founding of an inclusive soccer club
Stäfa, Switzerland, June 6, 2019 - Sonova Holding AG, a leading provider of hearing solutions, has given its support to the founding of an inclusive soccer club. The co-founder and club president is Simon Ollert, whose hearing aids from Sonova brand Phonak have enabled him to play soccer professionally in spite of profound hearing loss. The new club will be officially unveiled on Friday, June 21, 2019 at Ettal Abbey in Bavaria during the soccer camp for children with hearing loss . Since their inception in 2016, these camps have been managed by Simon Ollert and Sonova's Phonak brand. The official opening ceremony of the club will be held as part of a charity event for the non-profit Hear the World Foundation, which supports people in need suffering from hearing loss all over the world.
"The idea to start an inclusive soccer club grew from the success of the soccer camps we were running for children with hearing loss. It is fantastic to have Sonova on board to found this initiative. The inclusive club will be open to all soccer players whether handicapped or not and it will provide opportunities for up-and-coming players", says Simon Ollert.
Sonova has a close collaboration with Simon Ollert. The 22-year-old has used Sonova's Phonak hearing aids from his early childhood and achieved his goal to become a professional soccer player. The Sonova Group featured Simon Ollert's impressive story in a film that has won several international awards. As a Sonova brand ambassador, Simon Ollert supports the Hear the World Foundation and visits aid projects, for example in the Dominican Republic or Malawi, to encourage children with hearing loss to pursue their goals and dreams.
"We are delighted to again lend our support to Simon Ollert and give talented young soccer players with hearing loss the chance to realize their full potential. Our soccer camp will contribute to developing the club's young talents. This is in line with the Sonova Group's vision to enable everyone to live a life without limitations supported by our hearing solutions", says Arnd Kaldowski, CEO of Sonova. According to the latest figures from a study by the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association from 2018, 12.2 percent of people in Germany suffer from hearing loss. The proportion of children up to the age of 14 with hearing loss is about two percent.
Sonova will invite the press and supporters to the opening event of the inclusive soccer club, a benefit occasion for the Hear the World Foundation, on June 21, 2019 at Ettal Abbey. The guests will also include participants from the soccer camp for children with hearing loss. The entertaining program will start at 4.00pm CEST when the soccer club will officially open. After presenting the club's name and location, its structure, soccer ethos, education concept plus sporting and social objectives, there will be time for questions and interviews with the club's founders and supporters.
Other highlights will include appearances by Sonova brand ambassadors Tianjiao (Jiaojiao) Zhang and Jason Brügger. The famous Chinese dancer Tianjiao (Jiaojiao) Zhang and the award-winning Swiss artist Jason Brügger will display breathtaking choreographed modern dance and acrobatics routines. Both these stand-out artists have achieved success in spite of their hearing loss. There will also be a special guest appearance by world beard champion and hearing aid wearer Fritz Sendlhofer, who will prepare a regional specialty from his homeland of Austria for the guests.
About the soccer camp for children with hearing loss
Simon Ollert and Sonova's Phonak brand set up the soccer camp for children with hearing loss in 2016 to encourage the children and promote their personal development through the positive influence of soccer. During the camp, which lasts several days, the children learn ball control and soccer skills from a professional training team. They also experience fair play and team spirit and exchange stories about living with hearing loss. By engaging in sport, the participants gain self-confidence and compete with their peers, thus developing their sporting prowess and social skills. The international sports brand PUMA has been the equipment partner for the camp since 2018, providing training gear. In cooperation with STS Sport & Travel Service, the local distribution partner based in Murnau, the children are also provided sportswear. The professional outfits create optimal training conditions and support team spirit on the pitch. The camp has been attended by children from Germany as well as from other countries such as Austria, Switzerland or Russia. The children's program "Logo!" broadcast by ZDF (German TV channel) captured the inspiring and encouraging mood during the 2018 soccer camp. Program shown here (in German)
About the Hear the World Foundation
Founded in 2006 by Sonova, a leading provider of hearing solutions, the Hear the World Foundation supports disadvantaged people with hearing loss around the world and gets involved in hearing loss prevention. The foundation focuses particularly on projects for children with hearing loss, enabling them to develop to their fullest potential. Since its establishment, the non-profit Swiss foundation has supported over 90 projects all around the world with funding, hearing aid technology and expertise. More than 100 high-profile ambassadors, such as Bryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, Cindy Crawford, Annie Lennox, and Sting support Hear the World as ambassadors for conscious hearing.
We cordially invite you to attend the official opening of the inclusive soccer club. To register, please send an e-mail by June 14, 2019 to: mediarelations@sonova.com or call us on: +41 79 410 82 84.
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Contacts: Media Relations Mirko Meier-Rentrop Phone +41 58 928 33 24 Mobile +41 79 506 19 11 E-Mail mirko.meier-rentrop@sonova.com Patrick Lehn Phone +41 58 928 33 23 Mobile +41 79 410 82 84 E-Mail patrick.lehn@sonova.com Disclaimer This Media Release contains forward-looking statements, which offer no guarantee with regard to future performance. These statements are made on the basis of management's views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time the statements are made. They are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not confined to, future global economic conditions, exchange rates, legal provisions, market conditions, activities by competitors and other factors outside Sonova's control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and Sonova undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. About Sonova Sonova, headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland, is a leading provider of innovative hearing care solutions. The Group operates through its core business brands Phonak, Unitron, Hansaton, Advanced Bionics and AudioNova. Sonova offers its customers one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry - from hearing instruments to cochlear implants to wireless communication solutions. Pursuing a unique vertically integrated business strategy, the Group operates through three core businesses - hearing instruments, audiological care and cochlear implants - along the entire value chain of the hearing care market. The Group's sales and distribution network, the widest in the industry, comprises over 50 own wholesale companies and more than 100 independent distributors. This is complemented by Sonova's audiological care business, which offers professional audiological services through a network of around 3,500 locations in 18 key markets. Founded in 1947, the Group has a workforce of over 14,000 dedicated employees and generated sales of CHF 2.76 billion in the financial year 2018/19 as well as a net profit of CHF 460 million. Across all businesses, and by supporting the Hear the World Foundation, Sonova pursues its vision of a world where everyone enjoys the delight of hearing and therefore lives a life without limitations. For more information please visit www.sonova.com and www.hear-the-world.com. Sonova shares (ticker symbol: SOON, Security no: 1254978, ISIN: CH0012549785) have been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1994. The securities of Sonova have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States of America, and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act and in compliance with applicable state securities laws, or outside the United States of America to non-U.S. Persons in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act.
