Abbreviation ISPS, ISPS HANDA Founder Haruhisa Handa Headquarters Tokyo, Japan | Formation 2006 (2006) Type Non-profit | |
Purpose To increase welfare through sports | ||
International Sports Promotion Society (国際スポーツ振興協会, Kokusai Spōtsu Shinkō Kyoukai) (ISPS, also known as ISPS Handa) is a Japanese non-profit organization known for sponsorship of the PGA Seniors Championship and LPGA Women's Australian Open tournaments and promotion of dedicated to promoting the involvement of the visually disabled in golfing. ISPS Handa supports blind golf worldwide. ISPS Handa is a member of Tokyo Sports Association, a public interest incorporated foundation. The founder Haruhisa Handa is known for promoting Blind Golf and introducing blind golf to Japan. ISPS is committed to promote disabled golf to be adopted as an official event of the Paralympics.
Contents
History
Golf
ISPS Handa promotes disabled golf and blind golf, and provides management and financial support to a number of tournaments in cooperation with the local golf associations worldwide.
There have been a number of tournaments organized entitled “ISPS”, the abbreviation of International Sports Promotion Society and “HANDA” which is the last name of Haruhisa Handa, the Chairman, as well as the combined title “ISPS HANDA”. ISPS Handa became the title sponsor for the 2013 Golf World Cup, resulting in the official title of the tournament as “ISPS Handa World Cup Golf”.
The 6th PGA Handa Cup Philanthropy Senior Tournament (organized by The Professional Golfers’ Association of Japan), had total prize money 5 times higher than the previous year’s (2006 The 5th PGA Philanthropy Rebornest Senior Open), becoming the first “Total Prize Money 100,000,000 yen Tournament” in the history of the PGA Senior Tour. Since its 11th event in 2012, this Tournament has been organized by ISPS, and the 2014 event was entitled as the “ISPS Handa Cup Philanthropy Senior Tournament”.
The ISPS Handa Global Cup (Japan Golf Tour Organization) launched in June, 2015, was broadcast overseas as a golf program with a commentator in English for the first time in the golf history of Japan. Besides the TV broadcast, the program was also distributed online through Ustream. The winner received as a prize a Japanese green Haori, instead of the green jacket.
Summit
ISPS co-sanctioned the World Sports Values Summit for Peace in Tokyo, which was held on 18–19 July 2013. Top athletes and researchers came together from 16 countries around the world to discuss the topic “Sports can contribute to harmonize the development of humanity and to establish and encourage a peaceful society”.
At the World Sports Values Summit for Peace and Development, held on 23–24 May 2014 at the United Nations Headquarters, New York City, a partnership between ISPS and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) was announced.
Japan Bowling
In Japan ISPS supports bowling, hosting national tournaments throughout the year. In Japan roughly 20% of the population bowls, compared with the 13.8% who play golf. However, the number of bowling alleys has decreased from 3,000 to 1,000. Through the support of the ISPS, a number of bowling events have been held and the professionalism of the sport has been advanced.