adidas JABULANI Official Match Ball of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM)
Cape Town/Herzogenaurach, December 4th, 2009 - Today in Cape Town,
adidas and FIFA present the adidas JABULANI, the Official Match Ball
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa(TM).
Comprising only eight, completely new, thermally bonded 3-D panels,
which for the first time are spherically moulded, the JABULANI is
perfectly round and even more accurate than any ball ever before. The
newly developed "Grip'n'Groove" profile provides the best players in
the world with a ball allowing an exceptionally stable flight and
perfect grip under all conditions.
The name: The name JABULANI originates from the Bantu language
isiZulu, one of the eleven official languages of the Republic of
South Africa, which is spoken by almost 25% of the population.
Literally translated, "JABULANI" means "to celebrate".
The design: Eleven different colours are used in the adidas JABULANI,
the eleventh adidas World Cup ball. These 11 colours represent the 11
players in every team, the 11 official languages of South Africa and
the 11 South African tribes that make the country one of the most
ethnologically diverse countries on the African continent. The
colourful design brings together the tremendous diversity of the
country in harmonious unity. Four triangle-shaped design elements on
a white background lend the ball a unique appearance in African
spirit. And like the outer facade of Johannesburg's Soccer City
Stadium, individual design elements also capture the colourfulness of
South Africa.
adidas involved numerous world-class players in the development and
testing process. For the adidas JABULANI, adidas partners AC Milan,
FC Bayern München, the Orlando Pirates and Ajax Cape Town tested the
ball in 2008, contributing to improvements in the surface structure
and material composition. The involvement of adidas players will
continue to help bring the best football products to market going
forward. The adidas innovation team (ait.) is already working on
innovations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil(TM).
The adidas JABULANI will be available in retail worldwide as of
December 5th, 2009 (RRP: EUR 119.95). The ball will celebrate its
premiere during the German Bundesliga match FC Bayern Munich vs.
Borussia Mönchengladbach on December 4th.
***
Contacts:
Media Relations Investor
Relations
Jan Runau John-Paul
O'Meara
Chief Corporate Communications Officer Head of
Investor
Relations
Tel.: +49 (0) 9132 Tel.: +49
84-3830 (0) 9132
84-2751
Katja Schreiber Dennis Weber
Corporate PR Manager Investor
Relations
Manager
Tel.: +49 (0) 9132 84-3810 Tel.: +49
(0) 9132
84-4989
Please visit our recently relaunched corporate website:
www.adidas-Group.com
This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is
solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
