HONG KONG, Aug. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Talon Esports, the leading esports platform in Asia, is proud to welcome leading sports agency ONE Sports and Entertainment and its CEO Bruce Kaider along with two of Australia's most recognizable and successful athletes, Stephanie Rice and Matthew Dellavedova. With Talon expanding at an unprecedented rate, Stephanie and Matthew will be the first professional athletes to join the organization. They will all serve not only as brand ambassadors but also as investors and performance advisors. The group will work to develop best in class performance frameworks for players and coaches and support the broader business in securing commercial deals, strategic partnerships and investment opportunities, while also helping to grow the Talon Esports brand internationally.
"As a proud Australian, I am happy to be welcoming two iconic superstars of the Australian sporting scene to the Talon family. Having given the world numerous winning moments across the years for Australia, we will look to channel their competitive energy across the organization to continue to build together towards developing one of the largest esports franchises globally," said Sean Zhang, CEO of Talon Esports.
"The emergence of esports in the world of sport and entertainment is something we have been monitoring closely over the past few years. As a company we are always looking to grow through innovative and strategic partnerships with like-minded people and organizations. Having Stephanie and Matthew alongside me made perfect sense through their mix of experience in sport and business and their high performance mindset. We are all excited about working with Sean and the team as we aim to become one of the biggest and most successful esports franchises in the World," said Bruce Kaider, CEO of ONE Sports and Entertainment.
"This is a dream partnership for me, because it combines two of my greatest passions, entrepreneurship and gaming. I've always absolutely loved working and competing throughout Asia Pacific, so partnering with Talon and being a part of their team is incredibly rewarding. Esports has grown at such a fast rate, which is exciting for the teams and athletes, but I want to make sure our athletes have the support they need both mentally and physically, in order to continue to thrive at the top level," said Stephanie Rice.
"Esports is something I've been following and learning more about the last few years and was very pleased when I got the opportunity to meet Sean and the team. Hearing about what they've done so far competing at the highest levels and with exciting partnerships with PSG, got me really excited but then to hear what their plans are for the future really blew me away. Looking forward to going on the journey with them and bringing a different perspective to the table to help the team continue to grow and continuing to learn as much as I can about esports off everyone involved," said Matthew Dellavedova.
About Stephanie Rice, OAM
Stephanie Rice is an Australian Swimmer and Entrepreneur. She was named the most successful female swimmer of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games after winning all three (3) of her events in World Record breaking time. She overcame debilitating shoulder injuries to compete in her second Olympics at the London 2012 Games after which she retired from the sport to move into the business world. Stephanie has represented many top brands as their global brand ambassador, started her own businesses and works closely with the current Olympic athletes through mentorship and advisory roles.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-rice-oam-1023a378
About Matthew Dellavedova
Matthew Dellavedova is an Australian Basketballer and Investor. Matthew has played in the NBA for seven years and won and NBA Championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He is a three (3) time Olympian and was part of the historic Australian Men's teams recent bronze medal win in Tokyo. Away from the court Matthew is a brand ambassador for a number of international brands and is an investor in over 30 companies ranging from sports technology and health and wellness.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-dellavedova/
About ONE Sports and Entertainment
ONE Sports and Entertainment (ONESE) is a leading global agency which specialises in talent management, brand marketing and business strategy. Established back in 2006, ONESE represents a myriad of clients and brands from Australia, Europe and the United States and is focused on providing its clients with care, guidance and support, both professionally and personally' with a clear goal of leaving a lasting impact on the Sports and Entertainment industries'.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucekaider/
About Talon Esports
Talon Esports is a leading esports platform in Asia with headquarters in Hong Kong. Regional offices are located in Thailand, Taiwan, and South Korea. Talon was established in 2017 and operates 6 professional esports teams in 4 markets and accolades of 24 tournament wins. We are the esports tournament organizer for Valorant in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. We also organize Wild Rift tournament in Hong Kong. In addition, Talon operates our own creative studio to run the industry-best esports marketing, content creation, and activities for Talon and partners.
