Pietermaritzburg - As the countdown to the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships 2017 at Camps Drift ticks down to three weeks, the event organising committee has confirmed sponsorship deals with four major brands committed to ensuring that the South African edition of the global showcase is both efficient and memorable.

Multinational steel and aluminium supplier Euro Steel has led the way, with Durban based paddle manufacturer Gara, prominent banking group FNB and the international chainsaw and industrial equipment giant STIHL also committed to supporting the event that will feature over 500 athletes from 32 countries.

Euro Steel, now a name synonymous with success in South African sport, has extended its partnership with NCC and the sport of canoeing by becoming a principle sponsor of the World Marathon Championships.

The core motivation behind the additional support that Euro Steel, South Africa's leading stainless steel and aluminium supplier, is providing is to ensure the success of Team South Africa on home soil and showcase the sport to the public, thereby growing interest and participation in the sport. 

As a current supporter and sponsors of eight time world champion Hank McGregor, last year’s men’s K1 silver medallist Andy Birkett and other globally successful athletes in this specific discipline of the sport, Euro Steel is determined to showcase their skills, talents and dedication to success. 

Colin Wilson, CEO and co-founder of Euro Steel, reiterated this. “Being part of the World Marathon Championships being held here in South Africa will certainly be an honour for us, but knowing that we can add value to Team South Africa and all visiting athletes means that our support will contribute to the long term success of the sport and in turn assist our developing country and economy. 

“Being a proudly South African company makes this one of our key driving forces in business and we see the World Marathon Championships as a vehicle to assist in this process. We welcome athletes from every corner of the globe and wish them well during their visit to our shores,” Wilson concluded.

“We are grateful to the brands that have aligned themselves with this event, but what has been exciting is to see the way they have gone about looking for ways to add real value to the event, and the experience of every single athlete, supporter and spectator,” said organising committee chair Steve Botha.

“Elements like the Chill Zone, with free coffee from a barista and cool drinks, reflects the desire from each of these backers to ensure this event is quite unlike any other before,” he added.

“All they want is for every single visitor to the event to walk away saying ‘that was fantastic’” said Botha.

The ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships will be held at Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg from 8 to 10 September 2017, preceded by the Masters Cup competition. More information can be found at www.wmc2017.co.za.