Toyota Joins African Beach Games -- Sponsor Spotlight

(ATR) Sal 2019 African Beach Games organizers land a major official sponsor and a home for the athletes during the event.

IOC TOP sponsor Toyota has signed on as a sponsor for the first Beach Games on the continent, to be held from June 14-23 in Santa Maria on Sal Island in Cape Verde.

Sal 2019 CEO Yann Craven, in a statement, said it was an "honor" that Toyota "has joined our sponsor family to assist us in delivering the 1st African Beach Games, the biggest sporting event in the history of [Cape] Verde".

The Sol Dunas Beach Resort will serve as the official Athlete’s Village for the African Beach Games. One of the largest resorts in Cape Verde, the five star all-inclusive facility will serve as a home away from home for the 1000 athletes from all 54 countries of the African continent.

Organizers say the resort will provide "a unique lodging experience" for the athletes and represents "a fantastic accomplishment for a Games of this dimension".

White Castle, USA Luge Renew Partnership

White Castle and USA Luge are extending their partnership for another two years.

The fast food organization known for its slider sandwiches will also continue to bring free "White Castle USA Luge Slider Search" clinics to thousands of children across the United States. The off-season recruitment program introduced more than 1,200 youth to the sport of luge in the past two years.

Commonly referred to as ‘sliders,’ USA Luge athletes have won six Olympic medals and almost 600 medals in elite level and junior international competition since 1994.

USA Luge has used the longstanding Slider Search recruitment effort to replenish the talent pool. The program is responsible for discovering 65 percent of all current junior athletes in the USA Luge system and three of six athletes competing in the 2019 Luge World Championships this week.

"We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with White Castle to bring the Slider Search to cities around the country this off-season to share the sport of luge and find new, young athletes to add to the successes of USA Luge," said Gordy Sheer, USA Luge director of marketing and sponsorships, and 1998 Olympic silver medalist. "Over the first two years of our partnership with White Castle, we saw an incredible 90 percent increase in youth that were introduced to the sport through the Slider Search."

The 2019 recruitment tour will kick off in White Castle’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio in early May and will include stops across the USA.

First Title Sponsor for ITTF Pan America Cup

A first for the ITTF Pan America Cup, as one of the largest insurance groups in the Caribbean region becomes the first ever title sponsor for the event.

Universal, a Puerto Rican company, was announced as title sponsor this week. The tournament will be held from February 1-3 in Guaynabo City, Puerto Rico.

"For Puerto Rican table tennis, the Universal 2019 Pan America Cup represents a dream come true. We will be putting on a professional, international event at a world-class venue in what will be a true celebration of the sport for our fans and players. This all represents a first for our sport in our country, and we’re very excited," Ivan Santos,President of Puerto Rico Table Tennis Federation, said in a statement.

"We would like to place on record special thanks to our title sponsor Universal for making this event possible, helping us make an indelible footprint on our sport’s history. A big thank you also to the ITTF and the Municipality of Guaynabo City for their enormous support, to Telemundo who will broadcast the event live, and to all the sponsors supporting us as we stage this historic tournament."

This will be the third edition of the Pan America Cup and the ITTF says it is the biggest yet following its inaugural showing in San Jose, Costa Rica, and last year’s event in Asuncion, Paraguay.

Written by Gerard Farek

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