SPAR International has today been announced as an Official Partner of the 2018 European Championships from 2-12 August taking place in Glasgow and Berlin this year.

SPAR, already the principal sponsor for the European Athletics Championships being staged by co-host Berlin, becomes the exclusive cross-Championships sponsor in Glasgow. As a principal sponsor in both locations, SPAR builds on the promotion of health and wellness throughout activations supporting the Championships.

The inaugural European Championships is an exciting new multi-sporting event bringing together some of the continent’s leading sports including the existing European Championships for Athletics, Aquatics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon with a new Golf Team Championships.

To be staged every four years starting in August 2018, the European Championships will be a new highlight on the global sporting calendar, elevating the status of European Champions during an 11-day celebration of world-class sport and a packed 10-day broadcast schedule. Glasgow and Scotland will host Aquatics, Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon while Berlin hosts Athletics.

Commenting on the popularity of the competition and SPAR’s sponsorship of both locations. Tobias Wasmuht, SPAR International Managing Director said:

SPAR is proud to be the principal sponsor of European Athletics which is watched by millions of people all over the world every year. SPAR has supported European Athletics for over twenty years and in that time, our partnership has gone from strength to strength. This year, we also supported the U18 European Athletics Championships, highlighting our focus on youth sport.

SPAR is committed to being a responsible retailer and encouraging our customers to make healthy lifestyle choices. In addition to our sponsorship, at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin we will be offering spectator information on exercise and healthy eating. We are delighted to sponsor the joint European Championships in Glasgow and Berlin and wish all the competitors well.

Speaking about the European Championships, Scottish Government Sports Minster Joe Fitzpatrick said:

It is great to see another well-known brand being confirmed as an official partner for the inaugural European Championships. Glasgow 2018 promises to deliver exciting sporting action which will showcase our world-class Scottish venues, offering us a fantastic opportunity to encourage people to live healthy and active lifestyles.

Glasgow City Council Depute Leader, Councillor David McDonald said:

I’m delighted to see a big European brand with a long-standing commitment to sport backing the first ever European Championships. Over eleven days, Glasgow 2018 will highlight our city’s top-class sport and culture, featuring amazing athletes and artists in fantastic venues.”

The much-loved mascots of both Glasgow 2018 and Berlin 2018 – Bonnie the Seal and Berlino the Bear – joined forces today to celebrate SPAR supporting the Championships in both cities when they popped into their local SPAR in the east end of Glasgow. The duo first met in Berlin last month when Bonnie had a tour of the city.