China Fields Team For The First Time – Mitchells And Oomiak Premier Sponsors
Mitchells has teamed up with industrial refrigeration business Oomiak to send the China Australian Football National Team to the AFL International Cup to be staged in Melbourne and Warrnambool for two weeks in August and September 2008. The third international event—a highlight of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the game in Australia—is expected to attract 16 teams and around 1000 players. The competition is open to foreign nationals only, and no Australian players are able to participate. In addition, no professional players are allowed to represent their countries. Of the two divisions, China is in the developing nations division along with teams such as Spain, Finland and India. Each team will play five matches. ‘Australian football has been making gradual inroads into China and the first football ground is being built in Tianjin. Mitchells is delighted to be partnering the first team from China in the international cup and, as a consequence, through sport build stronger links between the two countries’, says Mitchells’ chief executive Mic Mittasch.