DHL EXPRESS JAPAN AND J-LEAGUE’S URAWA RED DIAMONDS REACH 17 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP

• The partnership has been renewed for the 2023 season
• DHL will also support “Heart-full Club”, the club’s football program for children from April this year

DHL Express, the world’s leading international express service provider, announced today that it renewed its partnership with MEIJI YASUDA J1-League football club, Urawa Red Diamonds (Urawa Reds) for the 17th consecutive year from 2023. From April this year, DHL will also support the Urawa Reds “Heart-full Club”, which aims to support the education of children through football classes.

Tony Khan, President and Representative Director of DHL Express Japan said, "In renewing our partnership with the Urawa Reds for the 17th year, we have expanded our partnership to support their Heart-full Club activities. DHL also has a program called GoTeach that aims to help improve educational opportunity and employability of youths around the world. We are very pleased to be working with the Urawa Reds to support the children in Japan.”

Yoichi Tachibana, President of Urawa Red Diamonds, said, "We feel encouraged to receive continued support from one of the most global companies like DHL. We are excited to see our relationship with DHL continue to evolve, and very much looking forward to seeing what new opportunities the collaboration with Heart-full Club will bring in the near future.”

DHL's partnership began 16 years ago, when Urawa Reds became the first Japanese team to win the AFC Champions League (ACL) in 2007, as the company's DNA of “speed” and “passion” exactly matched the values of Urawa Reds. In addition, Urawa Reds shares similar values with DHL – as both organizations seek to better support communities and societies. Over the years, the scope of the partnership has expanded beyond the football competition that includes a range of sustainability projects and international exchange activities carried out by Urawa Reds both on and off the pitch. For example, DHL helped to deliver 200 kg of football equipment to children in Thailand in September last year.