UnionPay International (UPI) has joined the list of sponsors for the 28th SEA Games, bringing the total to 71 companies who have committed cash and kind to help defray part of the S$324.5 million cost of hosting the biennial event here from June 5 to June 16.

UPI, a subsidiary of China UnionPay, was unveiled as the Games’ official payment systems provider during a Singapore Southeast Asian Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC) media event at ION Orchard Atrium today (May 14). The sponsorship agreement includes S$1 million in cash and adds to the S$70 million in sponsorship that SINGSOC has already secured.

Underlining the importance of the deal, SINGSOC chairman Lim Teck Yin said: “Firstly, this cash sponsorship will go a long way to help us offer more opportunities for people to enjoy the Games.

“The second thing that’s critical is that UnionPay is not a local brand and is trying to make inroads into the region. They recognise that the SEA Games is a great opportunity to expose their brand to the region and it’s a great signal for international businesses to think about regional sports.”

As part of its sponsorship activation, UnionPay plans to provide complimentary hot air balloon rides for visitors to the SEA Games carnival at the Singapore Sports Hub from May 30.

Wenhui Yang, UPI’s general manager of Southeast Asia, said as payment systems sponsor, the company will facilitate all payment services for the Games.

“For us, this is a good platform to show to the region what we do. We are a tier-two sponsor, so we are entitled to certain branding exposure,” he added.