Players and families of Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and those doing duty for Bafana Bafana received a 'health' boost when a medical aid company was pronounced as official medical aid partner for their teams.

Kaizer Chiefs managing director Kaizer Motaung said: "Our greatest asset and key to our success is our loyal supporter base. For this loyalty we strive to maintain excellence both on and off the field.

"With our partnership with Discovery Health, for the first time our supporters will have easy access to uncompromised quality health care.

"Discovery Health care is well known and is a very aspirational brand, yet has been largely unaffordable to the majority of our supporters. With KeyClub our people will be offered the opportunity to maintain a healthy lifestyle and thus enhance their lifestyles."

Delighted Pirates chairman, Irvin Khoza said "for the

first time our supporters will have easy access to uncompromised quality health care".

"The Discovery Health deal further adds to the growth of football towards its rightful stature. You will remember that I have stated in the past that if soccer in South Africa was a share price,it would be regarded by the markets as extremely undervalued," Khoza added.

"The partnership with Discovery Health is a welcome addition in increasing the value of soccer to where it deserves to be as a business. This will benefit the economy, specifically the Buccaneers' family of fans."

The deal, which was announced by Discovery Health Marketing

manager Neville Koopowitz at a media briefing on Wednesday, is for

five years.

"We have embraced sport as a vehicle for delivering our message

of bringing about a more active, healthy lifestyle amongst South

Africans, and soccer with its broad appeal, is key to this

approach," said Koopowitz.

He said the first step in achieving their objective was the

ability to access affordable teams by providing them with

unprecedented rates.

"The second will result in members of Discovery Health's Key

Club programme enjoying preferential access to Pirates and Chiefs

supporter clubs," he added. "Key Health is a medical aid plan for

the employed but uninsured market with a household income of

between R2500 and R5000 per month."

Safa operations officer, Albert Mokoena, added that his

organisations encouraged their supporters in particular, in their

different formations, to look at the product and acquaint

themselves with its contents.

"We are supported by a myriad of people and this partnership

offers Discovery Health access to these large untapped markets,"

said Mokoena. "We are looking forward to a rewarding relationship."