THURSDAY, 12.30PM:
AMALGAMATED Banks of South Africa (Absa) on Wednesday announced a R44-million sponsorship deal of Athletics South Africa (ASA) over a period of five years. An excited ASA president Leonard Chuene said: “This is empowerment for us and we don’t have any excuse for not producing medal winners for both Sydney and the 2004 games.”
He said the sponsors were motivated by ASA’s consistency — two Olympic medals in Antlanta and two World medals in Athens. “Our dream not to have South African athletes as spectators if we win the 2004 bid has partly been fulfilled,” he said.
Absa, which is the official sponsor of the 1988 World Cup in Athletics to be held in Johannesburg, will sponsor the South African Senior and Junior National Track and Field and Cross-Country Championships. Absa will also sponsor the ASA series of prestige permit meetings, ASA development squads and talent identification project.