Entain, a betting and gaming operator located on the Isle of Man, has renewed its long-standing association with British sports charity SportsAid. Entain, formerly known as GVC Holdings, announced the news in late August, revealing that it intended to double the current funding it provides to the charity.
The Entain Foundation will increase its financial support to SportsAid, bringing its total commitment to roughly £500,000. The igaming operator is helping SportsAid to fund the best young British athletes to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024.
Over 150 athlete sponsorships have been distributed as a result of the Entain-SportsAid partnership, with event funding playing a vital role. Bethany Shriever, who won the World title this weekend in addition to her gold medal in BMX Supercross at the Tokyo Olympics, is a previous Entain-SportsAid sponsorship recipient.
Why Is SportsAid Important for the Industry?
SportsAid is a charity built around developing and nurturing young UK athletes. Becoming an athlete isn’t as glamorous as many believe it to be. It takes many years of hard work and dedication for little to no pay in the early stages of their career. To get to where they are today, elite athletes need to have a lot of support, and SportsAid aims to help provide that.
Craig Allen, a wheelchair table tennis player, Abigail Marshall, a wheelchair fencer, track and field stars Charles Dobson and Joel Clarke-Khan, and wheelchair basketball player Dylan Wade are among the recipients of SportsAid funding, which helped them to focus on their training full-time without needing to worry about bills or costs.
In total, SportsAid has provided financial support and recognition to 165 of the 227 members of the Paralympics GB squad in Tokyo during their careers. Forty-eight of the SportsAid alumni named to represent Paralympics Great Britain in Tokyo have been receiving support from SportsAid since the events in Rio in 2016.
In the words of Danny Crates, a Paralympic gold and bronze medalist who is a leading SportsAid ambassador:
“Talented young athletes need the right support, at the right time, to help them fulfil their potential and ultimately achieve their ambitions. SportsAid has maintained a crucial presence across British sport over the last 45 years – playing an important role in the country’s international success throughout that time.
Regarding the partnership, he went on to add:
“It’s the overall package offered by SportsAid which helps make such a difference to athletes – financial backing, recognition of talent, workshop support, personal development opportunities – and this has really been enhanced in recent years. The outstanding commitment of the charity’s partners, such as Entain, is vital to making that a reality, and I’m delighted to see this relationship going from strength to strength.”
Aside from offering financial support to athletes, SportsAid and Entain also work together to provide recognition and personal development to athletes. Entain recently changed its name from GVC Holdings and made several acquisitions along the way, including Unikrn Incorporated. Despite this, the company hasn’t shifted its focus from supporting British sport.
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