Sugarpova Global Launch Photos

The air was filled with excitement at Crown's Riverwalk, Melbourne, today as hundreds of fans young and old crowded to witness Maria host the global launch of her much anticipated lolly collection 'Sugarpova' in Australia.

The spotlight shone on the beautiful athlete as she graced the red carpet wearing a David Koma dress and Jimmy Choo shoes, reminding Australians how she secured her place as one of the most stylish sports stars in the world. Cameras flashed and the crowd cheered as Maria introduced the Sugarpova range to her delighted Australian fans.

The launch event has only added to the massive hype surrounding the professional tennis player while she is in the country to compete in The Australian Open; of which she has competed in nine times prior to date. Fans gathered for the chance to meet this tennis legend in person, get an autograph and try her delicious new confectionary collection. 

Sugarpova is a premium lolly brand that reflects the playful personality that is Maria Sharapova. This delightful range of classic candies, with a fashionable twist comes in 12 delicious flavours. The range includes gummies, sours and gum balls with bears, lips, gummy high heels, purses and sunglasses, rainbow stripes and it just wouldn't be tennis without, Tennis Gum Balls in lemon-lime yellow. All beautifully packaged and stamped with a pair of vibrant lips and a quirky name such as cheeky, sassy, sporty, spooky, splashy, smitten, silly, flirty or chic. 

Self confessed sweet tooth, Maria developed the range to bring her own trendsetting style to sweets. Maria has taken the traditional standard of gummy lollies and transformed them into a luxurious and stylish treat. "When I couldn't find what I was looking for in the marketplace, I decided to create the type of candy that girls like me crave. I wanted something that could bring the fun and passion of gummy candies to life, and be my own project from start to finish," stated Maria. "It has been so fun developing my dream candy line and now Australia can taste what we've created," said Maria. 

At the helm of Sugarpova is Max Eisenbud as Chief Executive Officer. "Maria and I have been working together since she was 11 years old; so as we developed this concept into an business, we brought respected experts from design, manufacture and production to help us see our vision to modernize the candy market," says Eisenbud.

Crown Towers Hotel as well as all of Crown's convenience stores will be stocking Sugarpova products over the Australian Open period. Sugarpova will also be available at David Jones, davidjones.com.au, Harris Farm and all good independent retailers for $5.99 per bag.

A percentage of sales from the Sugarpova collection will be donated to the Maria Sharapova Foundation, providing assistance programs for youth from Chernobyl affected areas. 

Already available in the US, Sugarpova is sold exclusively at premium stores such as Macy's, IT'SUGAR and Henri Bendel in the US, Selfridges in London, and Colette in Paris with plans to expand internationally. 

This is the first international launch for the Sugarpova brand outside of the USA. Maria personally chose to present her brand to Australia, rather than anywhere else in the world.  

For more information or your nearest retailer visit: www.sugarpova.com or www.davidjones.com.au