AB Bank SNORAS became the main sponsor of World Lithuanian Sport Games

On 2 June this year, AB Bank SNORAS, owning the most expansive customer service network in the country, and Department of Physical Education and Sports signed an agreement according to which Bank SNORAS became the main sponsor of VIII World Lithuanian Sport Games. The games, which will be taking place in Vilnius on 25 - 28 June, will become another highlight of the Lithuania's millennial anniversary and “Vilnius - European Capital of Culture 2009” programme.

“Having become the main patron of World Lithuanian Sport Games, Bank SNORAS continues the tradition of sponsoring various sport branches. These games are important not only in fostering the sport traditions but also the idea of the Lithuanian nationality and unity. We are glad that we can contribute to the Lithuania' millennial anniversary festival by inviting the fellow nationals, who are scattered around the world, to celebrate it,” said Raimondas Baranauskas, the President of AB Bank SNORAS.

World Lithuanian Sport Games, which have been organised since 1978, every time rally thousands of sportsmen of the Lithuanian origin from the entire world. This year, during the three-day games, it is planned to arrange competitions of 26 sport branches for various age groups. A culture programme is also scheduled in Kalnų parkas in Vilnius on 27 June - the games inauguration festival.

“World Lithuanian Sport Games are organised in Lithuania for the fifth time. There is difference between the games, which were taking place in the first years of independence, and those which are organised lately. There is no euphoria anymore that used to colour every special event vibrating with patriotism at the dawn of Independence. However, the desire of the sports people, who are scattered around the world, to have fellowship has not diminished because of it. Sports people are united by sports and they want to communicate in the sport language. Four years ago all main Lithuanian sport organisations and foreign Lithuanian sport communities decided that World Lithuanian Sport Games tradition must be preserved. For those people, who brought forth and developed the ideas of World Lithuanian Sport Games, these games are a precious treasure; for the youth it is acquaintance with their roots, it is a new discovery into which they gladly plunge,” maintains Algirdas Raslanas, the general director of Department of Physical Education and Sports.

Bank SNORAS has a multi-year experience of sport sponsorship. In April this year, Bank SNORAS also became the patron of the combined Lithuanian Olympic team by ensuring to perform the three-year sponsorship of the Lithuanian representatives' preparation and participation in the XXX Jubilee Olympic Games in London in 2012.

For two years in a row the bank has been sponsoring the international team of professional car racers SNORAS Spyker Squadron, which participates in the most prestigious Le Mans Series car races in Europe, and last year it won the main “Omnitel 1000 km” car race in the country. During several seasons in a row, the bank considerably contributed to the victories of Kaunas basketball team “Žalgiris”.