Women’s sport development boosted by Shoprite sponsorship

The United School Sport Association of South Africa (USSASA) launched the 2004 National Under-13 Netball Championships together with South Africa’s largest supermarket group, Shoprite today. 

As part of USSASA’s 10th birthday celebrations, Shoprite declared that it would sponsor a further R1-million to fund the development of South Africa’s largest women’s sport in South Africa among the millions of young girls attending the country’s 20 000 primary schools. 

Coinciding with the nation’s ten-year celebrations of democracy, this major development initiative of women’s sport comprises regional, provincial and national matches countrywide – including some of the most remote rural areas – over the next five months. 

The Shoprite Checkers / USSASA Under-13 Netball Challenge is the continuation of an R9-million sponsorship by Shoprite over the past six years to enable talented players to play top Netball at high school, provincial and national level, while involving parents, teachers and whole communities in uplifting sport events. 

The sponsorship was today jointly announced at Gary Player’s exemplary development farm school, St Angars in Northern Johannesburg, Gauteng where Under-13 players of the National 2003 winning netball team from Hennopspark in Centurion played a fun match against a team of top Gauteng celebrities. 

Kaizer Chiefs coach, Doctor Khumalo, refereed the exhibition match and Chairperson of USSASA, Gauteng, Ronel Nel. Gauteng’s new MEC for Sport, Barbara Creecy, instituted proceedings in the presence of USSASA founder and Director of the Department of Sport & Recreation, Greg Fredericks, USSASA President, Doctor Nkosi and representatives of the Director-General for Education. 

Shoprite’s group marketing director, Brian Weyers said the group is proud of its association with the most popular women’s sport in the country and the development of Netball in South Africa. “The sponsorship makes very good sense, as 90% of the 39 million shoppers visiting the group’s 390 stores countrywide every month are women,” he commented. 

President of USSASA’s Netball, Di Woolley commented that the Shoprite sponsorship has significantly impacted on the development of Netball over the past six years: “The continuation of the sponsorship and support of the Under-13 championship will further strengthen Netball as a leading sport in our schools.” 

The national championships will take place at the Oliver Tambo Stadium in Khayelitsha, Western Cape on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 August 2004 and SABC Top Sport’s exclusive junior sports developmental programme, Sportsbuzz, will feature inserts on the championships. 

For information about matches happening in your area, visit www.sabcsport.co.za.