Oakley South Africa will be the “Official Eyewear Partner” for Team South Africa at this year’s rearranged Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

"Sponsorship and partnerships are the very lifeblood of sport," SASCOC President Barry Hendricks said.

"Whether it is for our elite athletes or at grassroots development level, all help is gratefully appreciated by the sports fraternity.

"We are grateful to Oakley who have come on board to provide Team South Africa with a renowned high quality international eyewear brand.

"By partnering with the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, at such an exciting time as the Games are fast approaching, we hope this will create unprecedented awareness of the Olympic and Paralympic Games amongst different audiences now and in the future. 

"Our team will be well kitted and represent the country well globally."

South Africa expects to take a team of about 140 to the Olympics and 30 to the Paralympics in the Japanese capital.

At Rio 2016, South Africa won 10 medals in the Olympics, including two gold thanks to Wayde van Niekerk in the men's 400 metres and Caster Semenya in the women's 800m.

In the Paralympics they won 17 medals, seven of them gold.

Corey Hill, the global head of sports marketing for Oakley, revealed he was impressed by the fortitude shown by South Africa’s athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

"Our goal has always been to ignite human possibility," he said.

"As Team SA’s Official Eyewear Partner, Oakley is proud to be supporting South Africa’s top athletes in their quest for sporting glory on the world stage.

"All Team SA athletes have trained for years to perfect their athletic endeavours and, despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to their training schedules, they’ve stayed committed and motivated, preparing tirelessly to represent South Africa at the Tokyo Games."

The Olympic Games are due to open on July 23 and finish on August 8 and are scheduled to be followed by the Paralympics between August 24 and September 5.