HSBC nurtures golfing culture in China

The World Golf Championship- HSBC Champions has become a platform to build relationships between important customers and HSBC bank after developing in China for 10 years.

Helen Wong, HSBC Bank China's Deputy Chairman, president and chief executive officer.

"HSBC uses sports sponsorship to provide a platform to build relationships with our important customers through spectacular brand experiences. We are an investor, stakeholder and influencer in sports that many of our customers are passionate about," said Helen Wong, HSBC Bank China's Deputy Chairman, president and chief executive officer.

HSBC said the bank is pride on opening up a world of opportunities for clients and golf fans in China.

"The tournament enables us to host our customers at a top international golf tournament and provide a first-class experience for them to watch and be inspired by the leading golfers in the world," said Wong.

When it opened in China in 2005, HSBC Champions had the ambition to create a world-class golf tournament that could gather world leading golf players. Wong said HSBC has made the mission possible in the past decade.

"It really feels like we have achieved this. This tournament has acted as a beacon to attract the world's best golfing talent and, as a result, has also helped showcase Shanghai as a world-class host of international sports events," said Wong.

Operating in China for one decade, experts said, WGC-HSBC Champions has opened a new era in China's golf sector. It not only brings the world's leading golf players to Shanghai every year, but also fosters the golf culture in China.

"Since 2005, we've seen a decade of unprecedented golf development in China and WGC-HSBC Champions has inspired a new generation of golfers. Golf in China has already come a very long way in a very short time," said Wong.

Though golf is not a traditional sport in China, Wong is quite optimistic about the future of golf. She said golf would become a common game in the next decade.

"With more young players grasping the opportunity to pick up a club and be guided on their first steps through professional coaching, the sport can only grow from strength to strength and become more common in the next 10 years," said Wong.

In the long run, HSBC said it would continue to invest in China's golf sector and train more young golf talents.

"We are supporting the game of golf locally at all levels and are committed to opening up new opportunities for young Chinese talent. Our vision in China is to create a lasting legacy through sponsoring youth development and grassroots golf programs," said Wong.

HSBC has supported CGA-HSBC China Junior Golf Program which was launched by the China Golf Association in 2007.

Wong said the move allowed HSBC to offer a pathway for new talents and will help to shape a sustainable future for the game in China.

"It's incredibly rewarding to see some of the graduates of the CGA-HSBC China Junior Golf Program making a real impact on the world stage. Guan Tianlang, Andy Zhang and Jing Yan are just a few of the players who have started to make a name for themselves but we are confident more will break through and proudly represent China in the years to come," said Wong.