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The Textile Magazine
JUly 2012
Welspun to sell Wimbledon towels
in India from next year
corporate news
The towels used by world tennis champions like
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova,
generally known as Wimbledon towels, will be availa-
ble in India from next year. The Mumbai-based diversi-
fied group Welspun, which supplied the Christy towels
for the third year running from India, has been given
permission to retail it in the country by the Wimbledon
organisers.
“There is good news for the Indian (tennis) fans
as well, because from next year onwards
the towels will be available in India.
The agreement to this effect has been
reached with the All England Lawn
Tennis Club (AELTC) after immense
persuasion with the authorities,” Wel-
spun Chairman BK Goenka said.
Apart from being used by the players, the Christy
towels are available in all the shops at the Wimbledon
site during the event.
“For the rest of the year, the towels are available in
the Museum shop which is open to the visitors all the
year round. It can also be purchased online in the UK
from the Wimbledon shop,” Mr. Goenka said.
For this year’s tournament ending on July 8 in Lon-
don, Welspun supplied over a lakh Christy towels.
Every year the quantities keep on growing following
mounting demand. It may be noted that Christy towel
is the second largest selling item during the tournament
after McDonalds Burger. For Wimbledon Champion-
ship 2011, the company had shipped 92,493 pieces of
towels.
Welspun had acquired CHT Holdings Ltd., the hold-
ing company of Britain’s leading towel brand, Christy,
in 2006.
“This is the first change in many years wherein the
Wimbledon logo has been recreated (in the towel).
The towel has been designed by Welspuns’ UK design
studio,” he added.
The towels have already been manufactured and a
major portion of the quantity has been shipped from the
Vapi (Gujarat) factory of Welspun India Ltd.
w
Mr. B.K. Goenka, Chairman, Welspun