London 2012 Olympics will boost minor sports

I strongly agree with the points made by Martin Croft in “Biggest is not always the best” (MW April 20). I, too, believe that with the help of the 2012 Olympics, the more minor sports can gain the attention of the major marketing players and use the event as a platform to propel their respective sport to success.

The article raises an interesting argument for readers and marketers concerning the lack of interest in minority sports, and rightly pointed out that there is a massive space in the market for sponsorship deals for them. Lesser known sports can break through with the help of marketers, and after the 2012 Olympics I expect to see them thriving on their success and sponsorship deals.

The statistic contained in the article – that within the next two years FIFA’s sponsorship for the World Cup is likely to reach &£86.1m – has alarmed me and, unquestionably, other readers too. It is clear that football is dominating the sponsorship scene, and that other sports need to emerge and start making money through marketing deals.

Mike Hall-Taylor’s statement that the popularity of minority sports is actually decreasing and that bigger sports are still emerging is nonetheless a valid point. However, with the lead-up to 2012 upon us, I would predict that those small sports are a trustworthy investment. Sponsorship could be the key to bringing them to the forefront, and marketers should be taking advantage of it to potentially repeat the success of the dominant sports.

Aaron Cole

PR account assistant

MCC International

Winchester SO23