Top Hockey Players Use Princess Sportsgear
Today, Princess Sportsgear is active and successful in no less than 10 countries. Our excellent quality products have been developed for sports men and women by the best sports men and women.
Get the most out of yourself with Princess hockey sticks, shoes, bags, clothing and many other products, you’ll have NO EXCUSE not to succeed!
BACK IN TIME
Inky’s Swimming Cap
Princess Sportsgear started out as a joke. Founder/Owner Aad Ouborg (aka the Donald Trump/Richard Branson of Holland) was the main sponsor of three time Olympic gold swimming champion Inge de Bruijn since 2003. However Dutch National Olympic Committee * National Sports Federation (NOC * NSF) prohibited the swimmer to wear the Princess logo on her swimming cap during the Olympics in Athens. Princess was not considered to be a "sports brand". Aad Ouborg never being one to back down from a challenge responded: “In that case, I’ll just launch a sports brand!!”
Internationals
Princess started to focus on producing hockey sticks and sports products back in 2005 with the guidance of owner Aad Ouborg who is a former Hoofdklasse hockey player for Breda and Kampong and former team manager of the Dutch men’s hockey team. Princess became a sponsor of the Spanish hockey federation (both the national men’s and women’s team of Spain) and of ‘Real Club Barcelona’. Princess sponsorsed the top Dutch international players, including Teun de Nooijer one of the worlds best players in history and a legend of the game (London 2012 will be his 5th Olympic Games and he has over 200 goals in over 400 test matches winning world player of the year 3times!). A number of clubs, hockey camps and teams can count on Princess support!
Blank Sticks
Prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics Princess was told by NOC*NSF (Dutch Olympic Committee) that the Dutch national team players were not allowed to play with the Princess T-14 hockey sticks. This despite the fact that the sticks and other sports products had been for sale in over a hundred shops already. Princess came up with a huge marketing stunt and made "blank" or "blanco" hockey sticks for their international players with no branding on them. They were Princess hockey sticks but they just didn’t say so which was very controversial as the worlds best players played with unbranded sticks.
Beijing 2008 Olympics
Princess didn’t accept the decision of NOC*NSF and took the matter further. Princess approached the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for approval and were successful. Just before the start of the Olympics, they acknowledged Princess as a full sports brand. In Beijing, the best hockey players of the world continued to play with the "blank" Princess T14 hockey stick creating huge pubilcity and hype! The Princess brand was embraced by hockey players worldwide and has never looked back!
NEW MOMENTUM
Now Princess Sports gear is conquering the market with new momentum with an extensive range of top quality hockey sticks, shoes, bags, and sports clothing among other goods.
As Manager of Commercial Affairs, Tim Ouborg follows in the footsteps of his father. He has been behind the striking stick designs of the latest collection. Tim is also rapidly developing spectacular marketing promotions such as ‘T-14 goes London’ (2011) and ‘Princess Hockey Model of the Year’ (2012). In true Ouborg style the model in the hockey model of the year promotion was Tims own sister, the lovely Lotte Ouborg.
PRINCESS COMES TO SOUTH AFRICA!
Princess hit South Africa for the first time in 2009 and hasn't looked back since! After the success of Teun de Nooijers T14 line internationally it was only natural for Princess to partner with South Africa’s best hockey player, Austin Smith to create his own Princess A5 line. A5 meaning “A” for Austin and the number “5” on his playing shirt. Together Princess and Austin have worked to create his signature stick the “Princess A5” which has subsequently been launched and is available for sale in South Africa. Austin is the first player in SA to be recognised by an international hockey brand and have a signature stick made that is available for sale to the general public!
Princess has gone on to supply the SA market with such great hockey equipment that it leaves players with NO EXCUSE not to succeed! Also sponsoring the hottest hockey events in SA like the Princess Pro Series and top coaching clinics with top Dutch Coaches! Watch this space...there is plenty more to come as PRINCESS takes South Africa (and Africa) by storm!
