Bancherul - BANCI / ENGLISH / Raiffeisen International sponsors Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland

Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG, a member of the RZB Group headed by Raiffeisen Zentralbank �sterreich AG, will participate in the 73rd World Championship of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in Switzerland as Official Sponsor. Raiffeisen International therefore continues the successful partnership that started with the World Championship 2007 in Moscow. The event will take place from 24 April through 10 May in Zurich-Kloten and Berne.

Ice hockey is very popular in most countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), and some of the best national teams stem from the region. This is a natural match with Raiffeisen International, which covers the region with the largest banking network of any foreign banking group. Out of the group's 17 covered markets, Russia (the current champion), Belarus, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia will participate. Austria's national team will compete as well.

"We know from our previous commitment that the association of ice hockey with the Raiffeisen brand in Central and Eastern Europe is well-perceived by both existing and potential customers. This is an excellent opportunity to further strengthen our brand recognition and value, especially in times when marketing volumes generally go down", said Raiffeisen International CEO Herbert Stepic.

For Switzerland, the IIHF World Championship will be the biggest sports event in 2009. Over 300,000 spectators are expected to attend � and another estimated 600 million will be watching on TV, with 75 television stations broadcasting over 3,400 hours of world-class ice hockey. The next IIHF World Championships will be held in Germany (2010) and Slovakia (2011).