Proteas T20 leave for Bangladesh with new sponsor
Oxigen is the new title sponsor of the Proteas T20 team.
A new sponsor has been secured for the Proteas T20 squad which will take to the field against Bangladesh on July 5 in Dhaka.
The announcement was made on Monday, June 29. Blue Label Telecoms has announced that its Indian associate, Oxigen, will be the brand behind the Proteas for all T20 matches in the upcoming season.
The Oxigen Proteas will feature in 12 T20 matches against Bangladesh, New Zealand, India, England and Australia before next year’s ICC World Twenty 20 Championships in India.
“Although this is no new sponsor, we are excited by the value of introducing Oxigen, an Indian brand, to our suite of sponsors,” says Cricket South Africa’s chief executive, Haroon Lorgat. “The Proteas are a globally recognised brand with huge support in India and this exciting development by Blue Label Telecoms is both unique and a first for Cricket South Africa. Having an international-based company as our team sponsor is a pioneering step.
Mark Levy, joint CEO of Blue Label Telecoms,said: “We enjoy a long standing relationship with Cricket South Africa, spanning many years, through our sponsorship of the Proteas. Oxigen is a brand born and bred in India, and we expect that Oxigen’s sponsorship of the Proteas T20 team will resonate closely with the Indian community, considering the massive impact the brand has in the country.”
Pramod Saxena, chairman and managing director of Oxigen said:“This is a milestone moment for Oxigen. India has a deep rooted history with South Africa in its fight for freedom, which has resulted in significant relationships encompassing brotherhood and camaraderie. Eleven years ago, when Oxigen entered into a joint venture with Blue Label Telecoms, we created history in the prepaid industry in India by becoming market leaders,” he explains. “Today, the sponsorship of Cricket South Africa by Oxigen carries the same promise of setting a new trend, whereby local brands will take part in global sponsorships and enhance the ‘esprit de corps’ at an international level.”
Oxigen is India’s first and largest payment solutions provider. It has been a key player in pioneering payment solutions in the country through its innovative offerings such as the Oxigen Wallet.
The Oxigen Proteas have already departed for Bangladesh. Their first of two T20 International matches against Bangladesh will be played in Dhaka on July 5.
