SSE will give UK athletes two free tickets to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games so their families or friends can enjoy the atmosphere of the sporting spectacular.
As a proud sponsor of Glasgow 2014 and four of the Home Nations teams, SSE will provide tickets to around 1,100 athletes to give to their families or friends as a thank you for their support in getting to Glasgow 2014.
Every athlete competing for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, will be offered a pair of tickets for their sport.
Due to team selections and competition schedules being finalised so close to the Games the firm cannot guarantee athletes’ tickets for sessions they will compete in but hope that the extra tickets, over and above those they receive from their team, will help their family or friends enjoy Glasgow 2014.
SSE has also announced that it will reward every tweet of support for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with extra funding for young athletes hoping to be stars of future commonwealth games.
Fans are being asked to tweet #GO followed by their country, with their tweets counting towards extra financial support for young athletes aged 11 to 20.
SSE currently funds 50 young atheltes per year under its Next Generation programme and will double this to 100. The nations with most twitter support will receive funding for a further 25 athletes, with 10, eight and seven places for the other countries.
Will Morris, SSE Group Managing Director, Retail, said: “Representing your country at the Commonwealth Games is an accumulation of years of hard work and sacrifice, not only from the athlete but their family too.
“SSE wanted to reward this dedication and help more of their loved ones experience the amazing atmosphere and spirit we’re expecting at the Games.
“We’re proud to invest in sport and communities across the UK, helping grow our next generation of champions.
“This is a small contribution to our athletes, their families and our future medal hopefuls to help inspire them to go for glory."
Katarina Johnson-Thompson, SSE Home Nation ambassador, said: “What SSE is providing for athletes and their families is priceless. I won’t forget all of the early morning car journeys to and from training my mum made for me or her cheering me on from the stands in the pouring rain. Thanks to SSE she will be able to cheer me on every step of the way and experience the spectacle of Glasgow 2014.”
Sir Chris Hoy is leading SSE’s team of Commonwealth Games ambassadors. He will be a spectator for the first time in his career and cheering on the home nations from the stands.
He said: “The road to becoming a professional athlete can be long and tough. Many athletes competing at the Games would not have made it to Glasgow to turn their dreams into reality without the years of support and sacrifice made by their loved ones. It’s great SSE is pledging a pair of tickets to these athletes to help ensure Glasgow 2014 is the best possible experience for hundreds of athletes and their families.”