Nestlé grabs world sponsorship of IAAF Kids’ Athletics Programme

Nestle Kid Athletics programme with Wilson Kipketer

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has announced a five year sponsorship starting in January 2012 which sees Nestlé become the main sponsor of the IAAF Kids’ Athletics programme world-wide.

Under the terms of the agreement, Nestlé will provide financial support for the further worldwide development of IAAF Kids’ Athletics which is one of the biggest grassroots development programmes in the world of sports. 

The global initiative encourages school children to participate in athletics and educates them about sport and a healthy lifestyle. It also aims to support the development of future athletes.

Created in 2005, the programme had reached a cumulative audience of 1.5 Million kids across 100 territories by the end of 2011.

The Nestlé sponsorship will further boost the programme allowing the IAAF to organise additional courses for lecturers and coaches and eventually to reach a larger number of kids in existing or new markets.

The IAAF objectives of the programme are to make Athletics the number one participation sport in schools, to educate kids into sport in general and athletics in particular and thus promote a balanced and healthy lifestyle, and to attract and sustain the potential sporting stars of tomorrow.

“IAAF Kids’ Athletics is one of the central pillars of the IAAF Athletics’ World Plan, our association’s strategic policy which, as we celebrate the  IAAF Centenary in 2012, is designed to ensure that the sport of Athletics and its world governing body are fit and ready for the tasks of the next 100 years,” said IAAF President Lamine Diack.

“Our five year sponsorship with Nestlé, a company with a global reputation in nutrition, health and wellness, will help to ensure that the central goals of IAAF Kids’ Athletics are not only met but enhanced. It will allow Athletics to reach out to millions more kids to encourage them to take up a healthier lifestyle.”

Nestlé, with headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, is the world’s leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company with an annual turnover of CHF 109.7 billion in 2010 with more than 280 000 employees worldwide.

“We are pleased to have entered into a five year sponsorship with the IAAF,” said Janet Voûte, Nestlé Vice President and Head of Public Affairs.

“Over and above supporting IAAF’s Kids’ Athletics programme, we believe that this partnership will further enhance Healthy Kids, which aims to raise nutrition, health and wellness awareness of school age children around the world,” she added.

The programme reached an estimated 6 million children in 60 countries in 2011.

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