FREMONT, Calif., Dec. 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Befitting an event of its stature, the iGATE CEO Cup has announced that the trophy for the inaugural tournament Jan. 12-13, 2013 on the Stadium Course at TPC® Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., will be the world's largest gold sports trophy. It will be larger than the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy.
Designed by renowned sculptor Amit Pabuwal, based in Jaipur, India, the iGATE CEO Cup trophy will be 21 inches tall, will weigh 8.6 kilograms of gold and will be emblazoned with diamonds and rubies. The FIFA World Cup – 14.4 inches tall, weighing 5 kilograms of gold only -- currently is the largest gold trophy.
The iGATE CEO Cup, the world's largest trophy, will be on display at the inaugural iGATE CEO Cup. The first iGATE CEO Cup is being held in association with Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine and forbes.com, and is co-sponsored by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
"We are pleased to be working with Amit Pabuwal to create this classic trophy," said Phaneesh Murthy, CEO, iGATE. "The iGATE CEO Cup is a premier event and we should have a trophy that a CEO will be proud to lift.
Pabuwal is distinguished for his work creating one-of-a-kind trophies for other sporting events. He holds the world's highest credentials in trophy making while crafting several world cups, acclaimed for their design and workmanship. Most notably, he designed the world's first Guinness world-record trophy Trilok Rachna.
Now, Pabuwal will have entries in the Guinness Book of World Records under the categories of both largest silver trophy and largest gold trophy.
The iGATE CEO Cup trophy design is unique, blending the modern trophy form with a Victorian effect of hand-crafted work and carved figures on the trophy. The trophy will have golf players embossed outside with the inside area depicting grass.
The front of the trophy illustrates North American corporate representatives rising to play golf depicted by a diamond-studded golf ball and rubies-studded North American map in the center of the trophy
The trophy will have two golfers embossed with an opening at the center signifying the charitable outreach of the CEOs who will be donating their prize money to their respective charities.
The back of the trophy depicts four golfers at play in a semi-abstract art form with their golf clubs at the bottom. The golf ball at the center along with the iGATE logo will be diamond studded while a map of North America will be studded with rubies.
"I am honored to have been asked to work with iGATE on creating the trophy for the iGATE CEO Cup," Pabuwal said. "Creating masterpieces like this is my passion and my life's work. I consider this seriously and believe that this is an event that befits such a magnificent trophy."
iGATE, the first integrated technology and operations company providing Business Outcomes-based solutions, has invited CEOs of Global 2000 companies based in North America to play in this first-class, championship-style golf tournament on a world-renowned golf course which plays host to a leading PGA TOUR event. The participating CEOs will compete for a $100,000 purse entirely donated to the CEOs' chosen charities. It will be one of the largest corporate golf events in North America.
CEOs will compete in a two-day tournament with trophies and prizes being awarded in different formats, including low individual scores.
Gary Player will co-host the iGATE CEO Cup. A Hall of Famer, Player is one of five golfers to win golf's career Grand Slam. His major championships include the 1961, 1974 and 1978 Masters, the 1965 U.S. Open, the 1959, 1968 and 1974 British Open, and the 1962 and 1972 PGA Championship. He is the most successful international golfer of all time, having won 165 professional tournaments across the globe over five decades.
An accomplished businessman and renowned golf-course architect with more than 325 course designs, Player will conduct a golf clinic for CEOs playing in the event. He will also participate in tournament receptions and attend the awards ceremony.
About iGATE
iGATE Corporation (Nasdaq:IGTE) is the first integrated technology and operations (iTOPS) company providing full-spectrum consulting, technology and business process outsourcing, and product and engineering solutions on a Business Outcomes-based model. Armed with over three decades of IT Services experience and powered by the iTOPS platform, iGATE's multi-location global organization has a talent pool of over 27,000 employees and consistently delivers effective solutions to over 300 clients including Fortune 1000 companies spanning verticals such as: banking and financial services; insurance and healthcare; life sciences; manufacturing, retail, distribution and logistics; media, entertainment, leisure and travel; communication, energy and utilities; public sector; and independent software vendors. Please visit www.igate.com for more information. iGATE Corporation is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "IGTE."
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