IGA - New Principal Partner of Athletics Tasmania

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22 Oct 2008

Athletics Tasmania is delighted to announce that it has begun a two year partnership with Tasmanian Independent Retailers and IGA Supermarkets.

 

Under the sponsorship deal, IGA will become the Principal Partner of the sport in Tasmania, an arrangement that will enable Athletics Tasmania to greatly expand its development and education programmes.

 

The Chief Executive Officer of TIR, Grant Hinchcliffe said that on behalf of IGA Supermarkets throughout Tasmania he was extremely proud to be onboard with Athletics Tasmania via a principal partnership agreement.

 

 “We are firmly of the opinion that corporate organisations such as TIR, in this case through IGA Supermarkets, have a responsibility to provide support and assistance to community based and sporting organisations such as AT.

 

“TIR has been actively involved in such support over an extended period of time and I am now really pleased to see AT added to our list of beneficiaries. Some examples of the support that we currently provide includes the naming rights sponsor for the Cancer Council Relay for Life, joint sponsor of the Cancer Council Seize the Day Awards, City Mission, St Giles, Moonbeam, naming rights sponsor of the Launceston Football Club, naming rights of the IGA Junior Sports Awards, sponsor of the NTFL Ambassador Awards and the Burnie 10.”

 

Mr Hinchcliffe said that he was also pleased to confirm that a major sponsorship agreement has also been concluded with Tasmanian Little Athletics,

 

“This now sees IGA providing support to athletics at both the junior and senior levels. All sport, particularly athletics, provides its participants with an excellent opportunity to not only maintain their health and fitness but also to develop personal skills and qualities. The outlet that sporting clubs and associations provide within our communities is largely undervalued and I consider our society would be substantially poorer if such opportunities were not provided to willing participants.”

 

Athletics Tasmania President Brian Roe said that the partnership with IGA would bring significant benefits to the sport in Tasmania,

 

“Over the past five years we have spent a good deal of time and effort in re-structuring the way in which we administer and deliver the sport. We have also worked hard to increase our participation base, particularly through our schools competition programme, and on our sport education opportunities for athletes, coaches and officials.

 

“We are ready to expand our activities even further, - something now made possible by the generous support we are to receive from IGA Supermarkets in Tasmania over the next two years.”  

 

Mr Roe said that more clinics for athletes and coaching courses for officials will be high priorities, along with the re-invigoration of clubs and local competitions.

He also announced that IGA would be the presenting sponsor on the number bibs worn by athletes throughout the Tasmanian Season with Olympian Donna MacFarlane accorded the honour of wearing number one for 2008-09.

 

“We have taken the opportunity to revive a practice of former years under which State senior champions and international representatives are allocated the first bib numbers.”

 

Athletics Tasmania Priority Number Bib Allocations for 2008-09

Bib	Athlete	Club
1	Donna MacFarlane	Sandy Bay
2	Grant Page	Northern Suburbs
3	Morgan Whiley	North West
4	Hamish Peacock	Eastern Suburbs
5	Melissa Kay	North West
6	Todd Hodgetts	Newstead Harriers
7	Mel Street	Eastern Suburbs
8	Graham Hicks	North West
9	Melanie Daniels	Northern Suburbs
10	Luke Whitney	Hobart AC
11	Michelle Davis	Hobart AC
12	Torin Philpott	North Launceston
13	Danielle Dwyer	North Launceston
14	Robert Cracknell	Eastern Suburbs
15	Teletha Phillips	OVA
16	Baden Wass	Eastern Suburbs
17	Brittany Knee	Western Suburbs
18	Kim Gillard	North Launceston
19	Anita Millington	OVA
20	Joshua Harris	Tamar
21	Rhiannon Maher	North West
22	Michael Bermudes	Tasmanian Masters
23	Rebecca Sansom	Northern Suburbs
24	David Moore	Tasmanian Masters
25	Tristan Thomas	Sandy Bay
26	Daniel Coleman	OVA
27	Libby Clarke	Newstead Harriers