Popular retailer concerned over lack of exposure of women sport
"Our target for next year is to reach 120 000 women throughout the country through this sponsorship."
After two difficult years of hosting events under Covid-19 restrictions, SPAR said it was looking forward to returning to normal in 2023.
“We promise that the SPAR Grand Prix will be bigger and better with each of the six races forming part of the SPAR Women’s Challenge series,” said SPAR group events and sponsorship manager Charlene Subbarayan.
Photo: Ron Sibiya
Subbarayan was speaking at the 2022 SPAR Grand Prix awards at Maslow Time Square, east of Pretoria, on Wednesday.
“Our target for next year is to reach 120 000 women throughout the country through this sponsorship. We want to keep growing the numbers of women’s road running in the country working closely with our partner Athletics South Africa.”
Lack of exposure to women in sports is one of the main reasons SPAR continuously supports sports such as netball, hockey and road running.
“The reason we continue to sponsor women in sports is that the women’s sports vitally get no exposure,” she said.
According to her, the lack of exposure made it difficult for women’s sports to acquire corporate sponsorship.
She said it was their time to help women in sports and the sports themselves grow.
“The SPAR Grand Prix has become the third biggest brand in South African racing after the Comrades Marathon and the Two Oceans Marathon.”
SPAR’s commitment to supporting and developing women’s sports became evident during the Covid-19 pandemic when several sponsors were withdrawing their support from various sporting activities.
Photo: Ron Sibiya
Photo: Ron Sibiya
Photo: Ron Sibiya
This was because the retail group continued with the SPAR Grand Prix during the lockdown.
During Covid-19, all road races stopped. As a result, the athletes could not make any income.
Photo: Ron Sibiya
Photo: Ron Sibiya
The national government and Athletic South Africa, therefore, requested SPAR to continue with the Grand Prix for athletes to at least earn something during the lockdown.
SPAR accepted the request, she said.
The organisation pledged its support for SPAR Grand Prix in 2023.
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