Pocari Sweat announced as official sports drink for the Doha 2006 Games

Dubai, 12 April 2006: The Olympic Council of Asia and the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee (DAGOC) officially signed a partnership agreement today with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd of Japan, makers of the well known isotonic sports beverage Pocari Sweat. Pocari Sweat is now the official sports drink for the 15^th Asian Games Doha 2006 that will be held from 1 to 15 December 2006.

Mr. Abdulla Khalid Al Qahtani, Director General of DAGOC, H. E. Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia and Mr. Toshiyuki Tachibana, representative of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. signed the agreement designating Pocari Sweat as a Partner in a ceremony held in Doha today.

This is the third time the company has become part of the Asian Games family. Globally acknowledged as creators of the sportsman's favourite drink, the company first sponsored the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok and later the 14^th Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.

Mr. Al Qahtani congratulated Otsuka Pharmaceutical as a Doha 2006 Partner and said he was immensely satisfied with their contribution to Asia's greatest sporting event.

"We are very proud that the fame and recognition of the 15^th Asian Games has attracted Otsuka Pharmaceutical. The re-hydration drink is well-known among the participating nations and is among the favourite drink of sportsmen here in Qatar. This decision is part of the company's continuing mission to promote and educate the public on healthy re-hydration techniques. Doha 2006 will be a culmination of their continuing efforts and will further elevate Pocari Sweat to the global stage," Mr. Al Qahtani said.

"The inclusion of the Otsuka's famous sports drink Pocari Sweat into the family of Games' partners is vital in ensuring athletes are properly hydrated and re-fuelled giving optimum performance levels across all the 423 events".

"Otsuka Pharmaceutical's association with us reflects the cooperative, yet competitive team spirit of the 15^th Asian Games. I am confident that Otsuka Pharmaceutical will deliver what we both have set out to achieve in December this year," Mr. Al Qahtani added.

Pocari Sweat Base Camps will be set up at the Athletes' Village where hand-picked team staff from across Qatar, the GCC nations and also Yemen, Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Japan will educate and support athletes to sustain their physical condition during Doha 2006..

Mr. Mr. Toshiyuki Tachibana said it was a proud moment for the brand and for Otsuka Pharmaceutical to be associated with the 15^th Asian Games in Doha.

"For us, there is nothing greater than the 15^th Asian Games and we are very proud to be part of this event that will create sporting history," Mr. Tachibana said.

"Pocari Sweat has grown to be the market leader in its category as an ion supply drink in just a short decade. By virtue of being an ion supply drink Pocari Sweat has successfully supported major events of local and international magnitude like the Terry Fox Run, The Dubai Tennis, Rugby 7s and other major sporting events across the Middle East," he added.

Mr. Tachibana also said Otsuka has supported a scientific congress of sports-nutrition at past Asian Games, and also finalised plans to support the same congress of sports nutrition in Doha. He said this conforms to Otsuka's guiding principle of "creating new products for better health world wide".

"The initiatives of organising and supporting a scientific congress of sports nutrition in Doha and setting a base at the Athletes' Village provide true value to our partnership. Otsuka have not only seen the commercial rationale behind this agreement but are going to ensure their brand helps all stakeholders for the greater benefit of the event, sports and all its participants", Mr. Al Qahtani concluded.

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For further media information about the 15^th Asian Games Doha 2006, please contact
Wael M. Barghouti,
Acting Public Relations Manager on
tel. +974 448 2492 or
wbarghouti@dagic2006.org

For further media information about Pocari Sweat, please contact
Shinichi Ryu from Otsuka Pharmaceuticals on:
Tel: +81-3-3293 3160 or
ryus@otsuka.jp