BKT Tires, OK Tire named title sponsors of 2021 world men’s championship

Even though it will be a distinctly different Season of Champions, there will be some familiar support for Canada’s biggest curling championships, it was confirmed today by Curling Canada.

BKT Tires in partnership with OK Tire will take on title sponsorship of the BKT Tires & OK Tire World Men’s Curling Championship 2021, which is scheduled for April 2-11 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary — part of Curling Canada’s recently announced hub city series of events.

“We are delighted to have BKT Tires and OK Tire as the title sponsors for the World Men’s Curling Championship 2021, taking place in Calgary’s curling hub,” said Kate Caithness, President of the World Curling Federation. “Our sport has overcome a number of challenges over the last year and we are excited to see the elite men’s teams return to the ice where, together with the World Title, qualification for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games will also be at stake.”

BKT Tires and OK Tire joined the Curling Canada family of business partners last season as the title sponsor for the Continental Cup. But with that event cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BKT Tires and OK Tire wanted to stay involved with the sport and with Curling Canada, and the world men’s championship provided the perfect opportunity to do so.

“It didn’t take a lot of arm-twisting, to be honest, and in these times, that really speaks to the wonderful relationship we’ve built in a short time with BKT Tires and OK Tire,” said Katherine Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of Curling Canada. “Our partners have been truly supportive of our ambitions of staging our Season of Champions events in Calgary, and we couldn’t be more thankful, and I know curling fans are grateful as well.”

While the group foundation dates back to the 1950s, Balkrishna Industries Limited (BKT) started its Off-Highway tire business in 1987. For more than 30 years, BKT has successfully focused on specialist segments such as agricultural, construction and industrial, as well as earth-moving, port and mining, ATV, and gardening applications. As a result, BKT has developed into a global player in the off-highway tire industry, offering an extensive product range of more than 2,700 high-performance specialist tires.

“We are excited once again to partner with Curling Canada and OK Tire,” said Alan Eskow, Vice-President of BKT Tires Canada Inc. “Despite the current global situation, it is great that we can still bring the world together through sports, and especially curling.  Good luck to all the countries involved for a safe, healthy and awesome World Championship.”

OK Tire is the largest independent tire and auto service retailer network in Canada. Part of the Canadian landscape since 1953, there are more than 300 independently owned and operated OK Tire locations across the country offering a full range of both retail and commercial services. Each franchise is unique within its geographical area, tailoring its offerings to meet customers’ needs, and covering everything in, around, on or behind any vehicle. 

“We are excited to partner with Curling Canada for another year,” said Jim Caldwell, President and CEO, OK Tire. “As a proud Canadian company, the team at OK Tire shares Canadians’ passion for the game of curling, and cherishes the unifying power the sport has in bringing communities together, as we cheer for our Canadian teams.”