HONDA SUPPORTING THE HOME TEAM AS FOUNDING PARTNER OF LA28 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES AND OFFICIAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTNER OF TEAM USA
As a Founding Partner, Honda will work closely with LA28 to deliver an accessible vehicle fleet for the Olympic and Paralympic Games using a wide range of mobility products
Official Automotive Partnership includes Honda support of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams in the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28 Games
Honda makes multi-year $1M donation dedicated to helping individuals reach their life's potential, supporting the spirit of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement
Partnership reflects Honda investment in America including U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles for more than 60 years and over 30,000 U.S. associates across the country
TORRANCE, CALIF. (June 2, 2025) – Honda will help the world's greatest athletes pursue their dreams in 2028 as a Founding Partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Honda, which established its first U.S. operations in Los Angeles in June 1959, will also serve as the Official Automotive Partner of Team USA, supporting the United States Olympic and Paralympic teams during the LA28 Games and upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
The partnership was announced today by LA28, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and Honda during a celebration at the American Honda headquarters in Torrance, California. American Honda President & CEO Kazuhiro Takizawa was joined by LA28 Chairperson & President Casey Wasserman, LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties CEO John Slusher, USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland, and LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans, in addition to U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Misty May-Treanor, Sara Hughes and Susannah Scaroni, along with community and business partners.
'The founders of Honda established our first U.S. operation in Los Angeles over 65 years ago, believing that success in America would lead to the success of Honda worldwide,' said Kazuhiro Takizawa, President & CEO of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. 'On behalf of our 30,000 associates across the U.S. and in Southern California, Honda is proud to partner with LA28 and Team USA to support the remarkable athletes who will follow that same path to realize their dreams in Los Angeles in the quest for gold in the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.'
'In 2028, thousands of athletes will descend on Los Angeles to chase their Olympic and Paralympic dreams. LA28 and Honda share a belief in the power of those dreams—and in the ability of the Games to inspire people everywhere to reach for excellence,' said Casey Wasserman, LA28 Chairperson and President. 'I'm proud to welcome Honda—a company deeply invested in the U.S. and the LA region—to the LA28 and Team USA family as a Founding Partner. Together we will drive excellence and innovation for the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.'
'We are thrilled to welcome Honda to the family of Team USA and LA28 partners, and we are grateful for their support of Team USA athletes as they chase their Olympic and Paralympic dreams,' said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. 'The LA28 Games will be transformative for athletes and fans alike, and partners like Honda will help tell that story and drive Olympic and Paralympic engagement to new levels.'
Honda Role as an LA28 Founding Partner
As a Founding Partner and the Official Automotive Partner, Honda will work closely with LA28 on an accessible vehicle fleet for the Games, featuring a wide range of mobility products—helping thousands of athletes, officials and other key Games stakeholders from around the world move across Southern California.
'Few events embody perseverance, self-belief, the spirit of competition and the pursuit of excellence like the Olympic and Paralympic Games—qualities that align with the longstanding Honda global brand slogan, 'The Power of Dreams – how we move you',' added Takizawa. 'The dreams of Honda associates serve as the driving force of our company, leading Honda to take on challenges to create a freedom of mobility that moves people physically, while also moving them emotionally. In this way, we can help the world's greatest athletes—and people everywhere—fulfill their own life's potential and enjoy their lives.'
Honda will offer a wide range of mobility products for usage throughout the Games, maximizing the use of electrified vehicles like the upcoming Honda 0 Series and Acura RSX. Honda also will provide powersports products including motorcycles, ATVs and side-by-sides, as well as Motocompacto e-scooters plus Honda Marine engines. Additionally, LA28 plans for Honda and Acura vehicles to act as the official pace vehicles for all LA28 endurance events.
This partnership builds on the six-decade commitment of Honda to Los Angeles and communities across the country. Honda will continue to support the spirit of the Games by committing $1 million over the next four years to organizations that help individuals reach their life's potential, on and off the field. This is on top of the more than $16 million committed by Honda and the Honda USA Foundation this year to support organizations advancing mobility, education, environment, traffic safety and community initiatives.
Honda and NBCUniversal look forward to expanding the partnership to include a multi-platform media collaboration with NBCUniversal, spotlighting Honda across coverage of both Milano Cortina 2026 and the LA28 Games.
'Honda has a rich history in the United States, with deep roots in Los Angeles, and their commitment to achieving excellence directly connects to the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,' said Mark Marshall, Chairman, Global Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal. 'They are the perfect partner to join the Movement for both LA28 and Milan-Cortina, and we are excited to showcase empowering stories with Honda's support throughout our comprehensive coverage of the Games. We look forward to extending our strong partnership with Honda across NBCUniversal.'
Honda Commitment to Supporting the Dreams of Athletes
Honda has long supported athletes in their efforts to achieve their Olympic and Paralympic dreams. Global Honda was proud to sponsor three Paralympic athletes who competed at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, including U.S. Paralympian Susannah Scaroni, who spoke during the press conference, and medaled in four Para Track & Field disciplines: 800m, 1500m, 5000m and the Marathon. Scaroni won a gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and is an LA28 hopeful.
Additionally, for nearly four decades, Honda has sponsored the Collegiate Women Sports Awards and the prestigious Honda Cup, which counts numerous U.S. Olympic medal winners among its ranks including Southern California natives Lisa Fernandez (3x Gold Medalist, Softball) and Misty May-Treanor (3x Gold Medalist, Volleyball), who was on hand at the press announcement.
Honda in Southern California
Honda has shared a special bond with Los Angeles since 1959, when it opened its first U.S. office in a Pico Boulevard storefront. Just five years later, the company moved to Gardena, eventually settling into its current corporate campus in Torrance in 1990. Over the decades, Honda's ties to Southern California have only deepened—through long-standing partnerships with cultural institutions, live sport competitions, local attractions and venues across Southern California. Additional background on Honda's enduring relationship with SoCal and Honda in America is available here.
ABOUT LA28 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES
The LA28 Games will mark Los Angeles' third time hosting the Olympic Games, previously hosting in 1984 and 1932, and first time to host the Paralympic Games. Los Angeles will host the world's most elite athletes in 2028 as it welcomes Paralympians and Olympians from around the world to compete on the biggest stage in sports. The LA28 Games are independently operated by a privately funded, nonprofit organization, with revenue from corporate partners, licensing agreements, hospitality and ticketing programs, and a significant contribution from the International Olympic Committee.
ABOUT HONDA IN AMERICA
Honda started operations in the United States with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. in 1959. Today, Honda employs over 30,000 associates in America engaged in the development, manufacturing, sales and service support of Honda and Acura automobiles, Honda power equipment, Honda powersports products and the HondaJet advanced light jet.
Based on its longstanding commitment to build products close to the customer, Honda operates 12 major U.S. manufacturing facilities, working with 620 U.S. suppliers to produce a diverse range of Honda products using domestic and global parts. Honda has built automobiles in America for over 40 years, and in 2024, nearly 64% of all Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were produced in America.
Honda also conducts research and development activities at 23 facilities in America where it fully designs, develops and engineers many of the products the company manufactures in America. Honda and Acura high-performance racing programs are also conducted in America including the design and development of powertrain, chassis, electronics, and performance parts, as well as technical and race support.
Learn more with the Honda Digital FactBook.
ABOUT TEAM USA
Team USA is the world's largest and most diverse team of athletes from across the United States who compete at the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, founded in 1894, serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and is responsible for protecting, supporting and empowering Team USA athletes. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.
ABOUT NBCUNIVERSAL
NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our theme parks and consumer experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, USA Network, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Universal Studio Group and have world-renowned theme parks and attractions through Universal Destinations & Experiences. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. Visit www.nbcuniversal.com for more information.
###
LA28 Press Contact:
Press@la28.org
Honda Press Contact:
Andrew Quillin
andrew_quillin@na.honda.com
—LA28—
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'What soccer reflects is the social and political problems of China,' Zhang Feng, a Chinese journalist and commentator, tells The Associated Press. 'It's not a free society. It doesn't have the team-level trust that allows players to pass the ball to each other without worrying.' Zhang argues that politics has stalled soccer's growth. And there's added pressure since Xi's a big fan and has promised to resuscitate the game at home. Soccer is a world language with its 'own grammar,' says Zhang, and China doesn't speak it. 'In China, the more emphasis the leader places on soccer, the more nervous the society gets, the more power the bureaucrats get, and the more corrupt they become,' Zhang adds. Xi Jinping's dream — or nightmare? After China defeated Thailand 2-1 in 2023, Xi joked with Srettha Thavisin, the Thai prime minister at the time. 'I feel luck was a big part of it,' Xi said. The consensus is clear. 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An outsider views Chinese soccer Englishman Rowan Simons has spent almost 40 years in China and gained fame doing television commentary in Chinese on English Premier League matches. He also wrote the 2008 book 'Bamboo Goalposts.' China is benefiting from reforms over the last decade that placed soccer in schools. But Simons argues that soccer culture grows from volunteers, civil society and club organizations, none of which can flourish in China since they are possible challengers to the rule of the Communist Party. 'In China at the age of 12 or 13, when kids go to middle school, it's known as the cliff,' he says. 'Parents may allow their kids to play sports when they're younger, but as soon as it comes to middle school the academic pressure is on — things like sport go by the wayside.' To be fair, the Chinese women's team has done better than the men. 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Other top administrators have also been accused of corruption. The graft also extended to the domestic Super League. Clubs spent millions — maybe billions — on foreign talents backed by many state-owned businesses and, before the collapse of the housing boom, real-estate developers. The poster child was Guangzhou Evergrande. The eight-time Super League champions, once coached by Italian Marcello Lippi , was expelled from the league and disbanded earlier this year , unable to pay off its debts. Zhang says businessmen invested in professional soccer teams as a 'political tribute' and cited Hui Ka-yan. The embattled real estate developer financed the Guangzhou Evergrande Football Club and used soccer to win favor from politicians. Property giant Evergrande has amassed debts reported at $300 billion, reflective of China's battered property segment and the general health of the economy. 'China's failure at the international level and corruption throughout the game, these are all factors that lead parents away from letting their kids get involved,' says Simons, who founded a youth soccer club called China Club Football FC. 'Parents look at what's going on and question if they want their kids to be involved. It's sad and frustrating.' ___ Wade reported from Tokyo and Tang from Washington. ___ AP soccer:
