The New Kenya Co-operative Creameries will inject Sh10 million into the new athletics season, the firm's managing director Francis Mwangi has confirmed.

The sponsorship is part of the New KCC's two-year Sh20 million deal with Athletics Kenya but this time round, the firm will also delve into the grassroots to develop outstanding athletics talent.

The New KCC has also set aside Sh11 million towards promotional activities around the New KCC Athletics Tour that features six track and field meetings in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisii, Kakamega and Eldoret along with the National Championships and National Trials that will next season be held to pick Kenya's team to the World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

This season, the New KCC sponsored the track season and the trials for the Beijing Olympic Games.

A new star

"Our sponsorship this season catapulted athletics to a higher level and helped create more interest in track and field and we are glad that, as a result, a new star, Pamela Jelimo, the Olympic 800 metres champion and Kenya's first women's gold medallist at the Olympics, was born," Mwangi said.

At the New KCC Athletics Tour, cash awards are on offer with the winners getting Sh2,000, runners' up Sh1,500 and third placed athletes Sh1,000.

Last year, the New KCC reported a Sh5.6 billion turnover with Sh7 billion in the books this year despite the early year unrest occasioned by the post-election impasse.

"In the half year, we have been able to deliver one billion sales more than the same period last year despite the security problems in the first four months of the year," Mwangi said in an interview.

"From a loss of Sh8 million after the first 18 months of the business re-opening in 2003, we posted a loss of Sh8 million and in the following 18 months, we recorded a 350m profit that increased to 384m in the subsequent 12 months.

"We now boast a Sh500 million profit and look forward to a Sh650m-700m profit in the next financial year.

"With our success, we feel it is essential to give back to the community by way of supporting events like athletics."

The renewed New KCC package will also roll over to the 2010 Africa Athletics Championships which Nairobi will host.

This year's Africa championships, organised by the Africa Athletics Confederation, were held in Addis Ababa and saw the New KCC dole out UHT milk for the Kenyan athletes for the duration of the championships.

The company also provided ceremonial suits for the athletes and financed the handing over of the Africa Athletics Championships from the Addis hosts to the next hosts, Nairobi.

"As the main sponsors, the New KCC Athletics Tour has provided our company with the opportunity to come out and show our support for our local athletes while enhancing our image as a business that remains committed to a positive and sustainable social responsibility programme," Mwangi said.

The company - that has plants in Eldoret, Nairobi, Kitale, Sotik, Kiganjo and Nyahururu - targets a Sh20 billion turnover by 2013 and hopes to use sports as part of their marketing programme towards that target.

"We see a great relationship between our products and the areas that produce athletics talent, especially in the Rift Valley, and that's why we intend to continue our support for athletics," Mwangi said.

"The New KCC's sponsorship of our programmes has helped sensitise the public on athletics," Athletics Kenya's public relations manager, Peter Angwenyi said.