Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Change of gears for Athletics as Volvo enters the field at Singapore #SEAGames

SINGAPORE, May 4 (Bernama) -- Fans at the National Stadium coming to watch the SEA Games in June will see the unique sight of a remote controlled (RC) car zipping around on the field during SEA Games athletics events.

Singapore Southeast Asian Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC) and the 28th SEA Games Official Car, Volvo today showcased the scaled version of Volvo's SUV, the All-New Volvo XC90, as the equipment retrieval unit for athletics events during the 28th SEA Games.

The RC car measuring 90cm by 45cm and weighing 15kg will be used to collect javelin, hammer throw and discus from the field of play and return them to the start line.

The car has special brackets with clips installed to hold equipment like javelin in place and a padded holding area with cut outs for the hammer and discus.

"The use of the All-New Volvo XC90 RC car is an innovative way to increase the efficiency of our processes during throw events in athletics. It reduces manpower requirement and allows our officials to prepare for the next throw, speeding up the interchange between athletes.

"This is the first time we are seeing this at the SEA Games, and SINGSOC is happy to partner Volvo for this milestone," Bob Gambardella, Chief of the NOC and SINGSOC said at the showcase here today.

The All-New Volvo XC90 RC car which is capable of reaching speeds of up to 100km/h and covering up to 4,000 metres a day, will be operated by trained volunteers including those who have taken up RC cars as a hobby.

Sabrina Sng, General Manager, Wearnes Automotive Pte Ltd (Volvo) added, "With Volvo as the Official Car of the 28th SEA Games, we felt that we could take transportation functionality to the next level."

The exterior design of the All-New Volvo XC90 RC car mimics that of its larger brother including the design of the T-shaped headlights which are inspired by the Norse God of Thunder, Thor's hammer.

For the 28th SEA Games, Volvo Cars Singapore will be contributing a fleet of 125 vehicles, comprising the Volvo S60, S80 and V60 in 1.6L turbo diesel D2 and 2.0L T5 variants, for delegates and officials.

It will also run a special promotion whereby VIP and official cars will be open for booking at heavily-subsidized prices with discounts of S$20,000 (RM50,000).

The 28th SEA Games will be held from June 5 to 16, with the Singapore Sports Hub as the main venue for the Games.

Organised by SINGSOC, the Games is held in conjunction with Singapore's 50th anniversary and will host more than 7,000 athletes and officials who compete in 36 sports.

-- BERNAMA

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