Other Sport
Pillay joins Team SA
2012-05-03 14:44
Johannesburg - Former Commonwealth Games medallist Geraldine Pillay has been added to the list of the South African team's ambassadors ahead of this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.
Pillay, 34, joins the original five ambassadors who were unveiled at the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee's (SASCOC) 100-days-to-go function in Johannesburg in April.
A sprinter during her competitive years, Pillay won two medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, and was also part of the SA team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
She is the second woman to be named as an ambassador to the team, joining Cynthia Tshaka, one of the first Laureus ambassadors in South Africa and the founder of the Sports Hero's walk against HIV/Aids.
The other ambassadors are rugby sevens star Cecil Africa, former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe, three-time Major golf champion Ernie Els and retired international cricket ace Makhaya Ntini.
"The role of our Team SA ambassadors is to inspire and mentor the athletes competing at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, while also encouraging young and old people worldwide to become more active in sport", Sascoc chief executive Tubby Reddy said in a statement.
"It's great to welcome Geraldine on board as an ambassador and to have her adding some more feminine input to the sporting cause."