The SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee has signed a four-year‚ R15 million sponsorship with Planet Fitness.
The deal runs until after the 2024 Paris Olympics and includes Fit SA catering for Team SA athletes not living in the country’s main centres.
This is the second sponsorship deal concluded by SASCOC in less than a month‚ after signing Mr Price Sport as Team SA’s kit sponsor.
Athletes in contention for the Tokyo Games later this year will be entitled to gym memberships‚ along with all national federation presidents and SASCOC board and staff members.
SASCOC President Barry Hendricks said they had yet to ascertain which athletes would take up the offer of access to high-performance centres‚ but pointed out that the sponsorship would offer direct cash savings for those currently paying their own gym fees.
“We have so many facilities and services, while some high-performance centres are very niche. It could involve cross-training to supplement what they’re already doing,” said Planet Fitness Managing Director Mannee de Wet.
Fit SA will find gyms for athletes in more out-of-the-way places where Planet Fitness doesn’t have a footprint.