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Organisers of the 16th Asian Games are feeling victorious after attracting a record haul of sponsors, despite the global economic crisis, an official from the organising committee said yesterday.

"We have tried to avoid the impacts of the global financial meltdown since last year," said Fang Da'er, director of the Games organising committee's market development department. "Our hard work has paid off because the initial goal of finding adequate sponsorship was realised one and a half years ahead of the Games' opening."

So far, 28 companies have signed sponsorship deals with the Games organising committee - the largest number in Asian Games' history, said Fang.

Although some potential sponsors did break off talks with the organising committee earlier this year because of the financial crisis, subsequent agreements with other companies were reached.

"About five to eight more agreements with big companies like China Southern Airlines will also be signed before June," Fang added.

Agreements were signed with companies including large multinationals and top domestic firms from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Fang said.

"We had worried about finding new sponsors since last year but a growing number of domestic and overseas companies have shown great interest in the Games," Fang said.

With the sponsorship deals, the organising committee has so far collected more than 400 million yuan, which is about four times the amount collected by the committee behind the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, Fang said.

Fang said a growing number of broadcasters from the mainland, South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Middle East are interested in covering the Games, which will be held in Guangzhou. As many as 23 companies have been authorised to produce officially licensed products for the Games, and 12 more can merchandise the goods, Fang said.

(Source: GAGOC)