Sascoc, P&G sign sponsorship deal

The announcement of the sponsorship - which is a major boost for the South African 2012 Olympic Team - was made at Sascoc house in Johannesburg on Wednesday, 7 March.

With this deal, Procter & Gamble will be one of Team South Africa's main sponsors for the 2012 Olympic Games which will be held in London. Both the South African senior female team, Banyana Banyana and the female hockey team have already qualified for the global event.

Sascoc Chief Executive Officer, Tubby Reddy said they were delighted with the announcement. "Without sponsorship like this, our task of producing sporting champions would be much harder," he said.

Procter & Gamble South Africa vice President for South and East Africa, Stanislav Vecera, said while the total amount set aside to support Sascoc had not been finalised, it would be a ten-year sponsorship programme.

The consumer products company will also undertake a major youth development programme across schools in the country in collaboration with Sascoc.

Speaking to BuaNews, Sascoc President, Gideon Sam, said. "We are very excited about this partnership. In the past, we had no sponsorship as we were relying on the lottery board to support us financially."

He said the sponsorship deal was a relief because sponsorship and partnerships were the lifeblood of sport. "Whether it is for our elite athletes or at grassroots level, all forms of help are gratefully appreciated by the sports fraternity."

Representing the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Dr Sam Ramsamy said they were happy about the announcement.