Branton Matondo
Popular fast food company Simbisa Brands has partnered Triathlon Zimbabwe as it seeks to become part of this year’s Bonaqua African Triathlon Cup Troutbeck 2023 Sponsor Group majored by Coca Cola.
Simbisa Brands which constitutes of Chicken Inn, Bakers Inn, Grab n GO, Creamy Inn and Pizza Inn has joined Coca Cola, Schweppes, Cimas i-Go, CFAO Motor Group, EcoCash and Rooney’s who already make up the sponsor group for the annual Troutbeck Triathlon showcase.
Bonaqua African Triathlon Cup (ATU) organiser Rick Fulton through an official statement said the partnership comes at a time when the competition is commemorating its 15th anniversary.
“We are very excited to have yet another blue-chip brand come on board for this event, now in its 15th consecutive year.
“We welcome Simbisa Brands on board and hope that this will be the start of long relationship with the sport and event. As with our entire Sponsor Group we value their loyalty and commitment to this event and we sincerely hope that they benefit exponentially from the branding, marketing and media exposure,” read the statement.
Simbisa Brands is not new to sporting partnership as it is also into football.
Meanwhile the Local Organising Committee (LOC) has speeded up efforts as the tournament takes centre stage on April 1 in Nyanga.
The 2023 Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup Troutbeck media team released communique released on March 9.
“In addition, the LOC are fine-tuning the various arrivals and departures of athletes from Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport to Troutbeck Resort and return. This exercise entails detailed planning for the Triathlon Zimbabwe ‘Meet-n-Greet’ team to coordinate the incoming international and regional athletes that will compete in the Elite Men and Women’s categories and also the Junior Elite categories for Junior, men and women,” added the statement.
This year’s edition will be one to watch as Zimbabwe’s contingent pitting Anje Van As, Makanaka and Matipa Mawere, George Ascott, Nicole Madya, Duwan Botha and the Mthethwa twins, Mandlenkosi and Musawenkosi look to forward to be added in the team.
Two time Troutbeck Elite Men’s gold medallist Ayan Beisenbayev from Kazakhstan will also be looking to top the medallist list.
Also making their way back to the much anticipated tourney are Badr Siwane from Morocco, Martin Demuth from Austria, Michal Oliwa from Poland, Meirlan Iskakov from Kazakhstan and Laurent L’Entete from Mauritius.
From the Elite women group, Shanae Williams who was the runner up in 2022, Bridget Theunissen and Jamie-Sue Vermaas all from South Africa return to compete for a position at the podium.
