TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (September 11) -- United World Wrestling and wrestling mat provider Taishan have signed a sponsorship agreement. The deal, which will run through the end of 2020, is the first step in the wrestling federation’s attempt to increase the commercial presence of the sport.

The agreement was made official at a signing ceremony during the 2014 Wrestling World Championships in Tashkent, between United World Wrestling’s President Nenad Lalovic and Gang Cui, Executive Director of Taishan.

“Taishan came to me after wrestling was temporarily voted off the Olympic Programme,” said Lalovic.  “They told me that no matter what happened they wanted to be our partner and contribute to the sport of wrestling. That decision showed their commitment to the sport of wrestling worldwide.”

“We are extremely pleased to be an Official Sponsor of United World Wrestling,” said Cui. “Taishan sees this as long term partnership that will contribute to the sport of wrestling. We are fully committed and hope to innovate and contribute our expertise to wrestling competitions worldwide.”

Taishan will provide mats for international competitions and also work with United World Wrestling to distribute mats to resource-challenged countries in need of additional support.

“With Taishan we want to innovate our competition but also play a part in the development of wrestling,” said Lalovic. “With Taishan helping us build necessary infrastructure in countries that need resources to develop. This another step in changing our sport for the better.”

Taishan is the first of a selection of sponsors to be announced in the coming months. On Sunday, United World Wrestling, formerly known as FILA, adopted a new name, logo and visual identity, which has helped spur a growth in partnerships.