Global sports betting and gaming group Entain announced today that the Entain Foundation extended the long-term partnership with sports charity SportsAid for another three years.
The Successful Partnership Continues
The extension of the agreement that is set to ensure critical funding via the Entain Foundation to talented British athletes throughout the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games comes as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games got underway.
Following the incredible performance from British athletes at this year’s Olympic Games and the Paralympics getting under way (sic) in Tokyo, we are delighted to extend our SportsAid partnership for a further three years.”
Grainne Hurst, Group Director, Corporate Affairs, Entain
Around a quarter of the recipients of funding via the Entain-SportsAid partnership are para-athletes that are seeking to ensure their participation in future Paralympic Games, while the sports charity provided support for 165 out of 227 members of the Paralympic GB squad in Tokyo. 48 of them have received the funding since the Rio De Janeiro 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Our collaboration with SportsAid is a huge source of pride for everyone at Entain and plays a pivotal role in supporting the next generation of British sporting heroes.”
Grainne Hurst, Group Director, Corporate Affairs, Entain
The recent Tokyo Olympics brought for Team GB 47 medals. There were 14 gold, 19 silver and 14 bronze won by SportsAid alumni, contributing to 72% of the Team GB’s total medal haul and surpassing the total Rio 2016 haul.
Entain’s extended commitment will take us all the way up to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024 and comes at a very important time for talented young athletes – particularly following a challenging period over the last 18 months.”
Tim Lawler, CEO, SportsAid
Critical Funding for British Sports
Dedicated to the next generation of British athletes, SportsAid, which partnered with the Entain Foundation in 2018, has distributed to-date sponsorship awards to over 150 athletes, contributing towards training, competition, travel and equipment costs.
Our partnership with Entain has continued to evolve year-on-year and the well-rounded support provided to these aspiring young sports stars gives them added confidence and motivation to pursue their ambitions. We have also seen an increased awareness of SportsAid and a much wider audience is hearing the stories behind the next generation of sporting heroes.”
Tim Lawler, CEO, SportsAid
Among the beneficiaries of funding from the Entain-SportsAid partnership is the gold medal winner for BMX Supercross at the Tokyo Olympics, Bethany Shriever, who recently added a World title to its Olympic gold medal.
Entain and the sports charity also collaborate to provide athletes with recognition and opportunities for personal development, on top of the direct financial support. As part of this effort is a series of workshops for athletes, their parents and guardians, aimed at educating them on topics such as nutrition, mental health and media attention.
The funding via the Entain-SportsAid partnership is part of a multi-million grassroots program that seeks to support local soccer clubs and which saw the Entain Foundation and the Trident Leagues establish the Trident Community Foundation to offer lower-league soccer clubs funding for community-based projects.