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 its sponsorship of golf tournaments worldwide, including the PGA Seniors Championship and LPGA Women's Australian Open. ISPS Handa is a member of the Tokyo Sports Association, a public-interest-incorporated foundation.[2]
History
ISPS Handa was founded in 2006, establishing the “Handa Cup” in the US as well as the “Handa Australian Cup” in Australia to fund and support LPGA senior golf tournaments. It also began organizing amateur events such as the Handa Cup All-Japan Golf Tutors Pro-Am Open Championship.
Since 2007, ISPS Handa has also supported bowling tournaments in Japan and has co-sanctioned the Handa Cup Japan Pro Bowling Championship and the Handa Cup All Japan Women's Pro Bowling Championship. It also began to establish and support tournaments for major international tours.
Since 2010, ISPS Handa has been hosting championships in Japan, such as the JPGA Senior Tour and the JGTO Challenge Tournament, including the ISPS Handa Cup Senior Masters.
In January 2012, ISPS Handa established the ISPS Handa PGA Academy Program in collaboration with the PGA European Tour,[3] in which UK professional golfers provide instruction to blind golfers.
ISPS Handa promotes disabled golf and blind golf[8] and provides management and financial support to a number of tournaments in cooperation with the local golf associations worldwide.
There have been several tournaments organized titled “ISPS” as an abbreviation of International Sports Promotion Society, and “HANDA” which is the last name of Chairman Haruhisa Handa, 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”.[9][10][11][12]
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 conducted 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.[13]
Handa Cup Philanthropy in China CGA Challenge Tour
2010
China
JFOS
Handa Cup International
2009
China
Summit
ISPS co-sanctioned the World Sports Values Summit for Peace in Tokyo, which was held on July 18–19, 2013. Top athletes and researchers came together from 16 countries around the world to discuss the topic “Sports can contribute to harmonizing the development of humanity and establishing and encouraging a peaceful society.”
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. With the support of the ISPS, a number of bowling events have been held, and the professionalism of the sport has improved.
^ 続・アカスリ半田劇場2 [Zoku Akasuri Handa Theater 2]. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan. July 20, 2014.
^16カ国参加スポーツ平和サミット開幕 [World Sports Values Summit for Peace Opens - Participants from 16 Nations]. Daily Sports (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan. July 19, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
^スポーツ平和サミット東京大会が開催-ｽﾎﾟｰﾂの力は無限大 [World Sports Values Summit for Peace in Tokyo is Held – The Power of Sports is Infinite]. PGA News (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Professional Golfers’ Association of Japan. July 19, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
^ポールターにマスターズ覇者も! ISPSハンダグローバルカップ記者発表会開催 [ISPS Handa Global Cup of the press conference held]. ALBA (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan. July 1, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
^"ISPS HANDA becomes title sponsor of World Cup of Golf". PGA European Tour. September 11, 2013.
^"ISPSハンダがワールドカップのタイトルスポンサーに" [ISPS Handa becomes title sponsor of World Cup of Golf]. ParGolf (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Pargolf & Company. September 11, 2013.
^"ISPSハンダがワールドカップのタイトルスポンサーに" [ISPS Handa becomes title sponsor of World Cup of Golf]. Golf Digest (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan. September 11, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
