By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) says it has signed co-operation agreements with three French cities to secure training camps for local athletes ahead of the 2024 Paris Games.
The three cities are Montpellier and Sète, both on the south coast, and Millau, which is slightly inland from there.
“We are always open to signing agreements that will benefit our federations and athletes,” Sascoc president Barry Hendricks was quoted as saying.
“Agreements of this nature greatly contribute to preparing the athletes and support staff of Team SA for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond.”
“We extend our gratitude to the Mayor of the Metropole of Montpellier, Philippe Saurel, the President of the Agglopole of Sete, Francois Commeinhes, and the Mayor of the Conurbation of Millau, Emmanuelle Gazel, Jeremy Botton, and their teams for providing our a opportunity,” “Hendricks added.
Nozipho Jafta, CEO of SASCOC, emphasised the significance of this development, saying, “We are extremely excited about this opportunity. With just over a year remaining until the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, these agreements are vital to the success of our teams. Our athletes will experience the standards of global training facilities as they enter the final stages of their preparation.” Jafta concluded.