David Palmer Renews HEAD Sponsorship Agreement March 2002
David Palmer, Australia’s pre-eminent squash star and currently the world’s #2 player, and HEAD Racquet Sports of Austria have renewed an exclusive sponsorship agreement. The three-year agreement between Palmer and HEAD continues a relationship that began four years ago.
“David Palmer is a fantastic player and an honourable sportsman without peer,” said Johann Eliasch, Chief Executive Officer of HEAD. “The close relationship between HEAD and David was forged over the last four years. The renewal of our sponsorship was virtually a fait accompli, especially given David’s meteoric rise in the world of squash. We’re delighted and proud to have him on the HEAD team. David intends to be the world’s #1 player for a long time, and we anticipate his reclaiming the #1 title this season.”
Palmer began his breakthrough in 1997 when he won four successive PSA Tour titles. He broke into the “top ten” in February 2000, claiming two PSA titles from six final appearances in 1999. He reached a new career high point as the #3 player in the world in May 2001, beating world champion Peter Nicol, and then proceeded to reach the PSA Masters final in Egypt.
The HEAD super-star truly came of age in June 2001 when he swept through the British Open field in Birmingham UK to become the first Australian in twenty years to claim one of the sport's most cherished titles. Then, in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open in August and his fifth successive appearance in PSA Tour finals, he claimed the winner’s title for the first time - and with it the promise of a No.1 world ranking in September 2001. For the period from September 2001 to January 2002, David Palmer seized the crown title in squash – the World’s Number One Player. He continued his remarkable ascendancy as captain of the Australian squash team, leading them to capture the #1 World Team Title in October 2001.
For David, a long-time admirer of HEAD racquets, and a strong proponent of the new “Intelligence” line of equipment, the renewal of the HEAD contract was a mere formality. “I really hope to follow in the footsteps of Jansher Khan,” said Palmer from his home in Belgium. “Jansher was sponsored by HEAD, and his image still appears on the HEAD squash racquet. He won an amazing ninety-nine PSA titles between 1986 and 1997. I will strive to match his record. I believe that the new HEAD i.160 ‘Intelligence’ racquet will help me to achieve my goals.”
Intelligent, active materials and patented systems have been utilized for the construction of the new line of HEAD squash racquets. Special HEAD intellifibers™ stiffen the racquet and eliminate vibrations within the first millisecond of ball impact. The Intelligence line of racquets features HEAD´s proven PowerZone™ system and string pattern. This state-of-the -art racquet technology reaffirms HEAD’s technological leadership and its claim as the world’s most innovative and dynamic sporting goods company.
HEAD Racquet Sports is a division of HEAD NV which owns such premier sporting goods brands as HEAD (squash, tennis, racquetball, skis, boots and snowboards), Penn (tennis balls and racquetball balls), Tyrolia (ski bindings), Mares and Dacor (both scuba gear).
For more information about HEAD products please visit www.head.com . For more information about David Palmer, write to his manager at erosov@email.msn.com .
Palmer wins the British Open
Followed by the World Team title