Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Diadora sportswear have withdrawn all sponsorship of David Teegers because of his pro-Israeli comment, and because a Muslim is a director.
An executive at the South Africa office of the sportswear maker Diadora said that the company would not sponsor events featuring David Teeger, a Jewish cricket player who was demoted after praising Israeli troops fighting Hamas in Gaza.
The report of a boycott action by Diadora South Africa against Teeger appeared in a document published last month by Wim Trengove, a jurist who is heading an independent inquiry into the conduct of Teeger, who was stripped of the captainship of South Africa’s under-19 team for the 2024 Cricket World Cup.
In his October 22 speech, Teeger said that he was dedicating an award he’d received “to the State of Israel and to every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the Diaspora.”
Teeger’s subsequent demotion, Cricket South Africa said, was to protect the team from hostile action by pro-Palestinian activists, but many believe it was merely punishing Teeger despite acquitting him of violating the ethics code.
Major media outlets in South Africa, including News24, a mainstream news site, also identified Saloojee as a director of Diadora in South Africa.
The South Africa-Israel Chamber of Commerce last month wrote to Diadora to complain about Saloojee’s remarks, asking the company to clarify whether he spoke for Diadora. The firm replied to the Chamber’s December 12 complaint on Tuesday, the Chamber said, saying that Saloojee has no ties to Diadora.
