SAA to support South African athletes on road to Rio

National flag carrier South African Airways has agreed to sponsor the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee through to the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The agreement has been announced ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which gets underway in Glasgow, Scotland on July 23.

The three-year sponsorship is in the form of air tickets, which will enable participating athletes and officials to fly to various sports destinations in the 2014-16 period leading up to Rio 2016.

SASCOC president Gideon Sam said: “The issue of travel is always a vital part of our planning and strategy here at SASCOC. In the modern world it’s hugely expensive to get to various events around the world and this generous gesture will enable our athletes to test themselves against the very best in the world.”