Harrington hails Hong Kong Special Olympics Golf Team at UBS Clinic
[Hong Kong, November 16, 2012]: Former UBS Hong Kong Open champion Padraig Harrington, the Global Ambassador for Golf for the Special Olympics, has hailed the Hong Kong Special Olympics Golf Team as the best he has seen in his three years in the Ambassador’s role.
Harrington headlined a UBS golf clinic arranged for its long-term community partner the Hong Kong Special Olympics yesterday (Nov 15) at the UBS Hong Kong Open 2012.
Ms Kathryn Shih, CEO, Wealth Management for UBS Asia Pacific commented on the clinic saying, “UBS always seeks to integrate our long-term community partners like the Hong Kong Special Olympics into our sponsorship platforms. Previously at the Open we have arranged clinics with athletes from the Hong Kong Special Olympics teams with both Padraig Harrington and Liang Wen Chong.
“The clinics are always inspirational and it is touching to see how the star golfers are so affected by the experience of working with these talented athletes from the Hong Kong Special Olympics. The clinic with Padraig was really impressive and we sincerely thank him for his support to not just the UBS Hong Kong Open but to the Special Olympics movement,” added Ms Shih.
Harrington was moved by the experience and highly complimentary of the 12 members of the Hong Kong Special Olympics Golf team who participated in the UBS clinic.
“They are very good,” said Harrington, adding that, “I have been working around the world with the Special Olympics for three years now and as a set of players, these Hong Kong golf players are definitely the best that I have seen.
“It was a fun clinic but they always are to be honest. Anytime that you do something with the Special Olympics, you get far more out of it than you give. The kids are fantastic and so enthusiastic – they are a joy to be around. It’s nice to be able to do it and it’s one of those things where UBS have organized everything and I just come in to do the clinic. I look good, but obviously there is a lot of work that is put in behind the scenes.
“All the Special Olympics athletes are fun to work with. As professionals, we are out there and are very privileged to be playing the game and sometimes, we don’t quite see it that way. But when we get to work with the Special Olympics athletes, it is a reminder of how good things are,” concluded Harrington.
About the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open
The Hong Kong Golf Open is Hong Kong’s oldest professional sporting event. Beginning in 1959, the Hong Kong Open has a rich history of winners including ten different Major Champions who have amassed 26 Major titles between them. UBS, the diversified global financial services company, has been title sponsor of the event since 2005. The UBS Hong Kong Open is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the Hong Kong Golf Association.
About UBS
UBS draws on its 150-year heritage to serve private, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as retail clients in Switzerland. We combine our wealth management, investment banking and asset management businesses with our Swiss operations to deliver superior financial solutions.
UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. It has offices in over 50 countries, with about 37% of its employees working in the Americas, 37% in Switzerland, 16% in the rest of Europe and 10% in Asia Pacific. UBS employs about 66,000 people around the world. Its shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).