Disability Sports South Africa

South African athletics looks to be getting back on track again after yesterday’s announcement in Johannesburg of the renewal of Yellow Pages’ sponsorship of track and field for another three-year term.

The meeting also finalised and endorsed the track and field calendar for the 2010 season.

The sponsorship renewal will see the information service provider invest R20 million between now and 2012. “As part of bringing the South African athletics programme in line with the international season and to better prepare our athletes, the two parties have agreed on dynamic changes for this year’s season,” says ASA interim administrator, Ray Mali.

There will again be six Yellow Pages Series meetings as well as the Junior and Senior Championships. In addition the season will include the USSA SA Student Championships in Potchefstroom.

This year sees three of the meetings taking place before the Yellow Pages SA Senior Track and Field Championships in Durban and three afterwards.

The series’ will start on 19 February in Port Elizabeth, with the second meeting in Durban on 26 February, and the third in Potchefstroom on 4 March.

For the first time some of the athletics meetings will take place mid-week; the first of which will be in Potchefstroom on Tuesday, 4 March. The Yellow Pages SA Senior Championships follow on 19 & 20 March.

The last three Yellow Pages Series meetings will be held on Wednesday, 24 March at the University of Johannesburg (UJ); Tuesday, 30 March in Stellenbosch and on Tuesday, 6 April in Tshwane.

“The SA track and field season finishes with the Yellow Pages SA Junior and Youth Championships at UJ on 9 and 10 April, and the USSASA Student Championships in Potchefstroom on 16 and 17 April.

“Athletics South Africa and Yellow Pages are committed to providing a platform for the athletes to perform to the best of their ability; and in an environment where spectators will be entertained and provided with a memorable experience,” says Mali.

Lionel Smith GM Marketing of Trudon, publishers of the Yellow Pages, said the company was delighted to continue its relationship with athletics “We believe that our sponsorship will continue unveiling the enormous talent that we know exist in this country. “We have full confidence that athletics will grow to greater heights with the new programme”, concluded Smith.

The Yellow Pages sponsorship will also be used as a platform to prepare South African athletes for the Commonwealth Games taking place in New Delhi, India later this year.