SOUTH AFRICA BECOMES LATEST COUNTRY TO SANCTION FLW TOURNAMENTS

WJ LINDEQUE CC SIGNS EXCLUSIVE LICENSING AGREEMENT TO RUN FLW BASS-FISHING TOURNAMENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 17, 2016) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced an exclusive licensing agreement with WJ Lindeque CC, of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, to begin sanctioning FLW bass-fishing tournaments in South Africa. The agreement was signed by FLW President of Operations Kathy Fennel and Hannes Lindeque, a managing member of WJ Lindeque CC.

South Africa will run a series of FLW tournaments that advance anglers, who are citizens of the host country, to the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship beginning in 2017. Two anglers will compete as pros, with FLW providing Ranger boats, and two will compete as co-anglers.

“I’m very excited to be part of such an internationally-focused tournament organization,” said Lindeque, who has competed in FLW tournaments in the United States. “I know that South Africa has some of the world’s best anglers and it is a dream come true to give them an opportunity to compete at a high level. I look forward to seeing how they fare at the Costa FLW Series Championship in 2017.”

The top pro award at the Costa FLW Series Championship is $95,000, including a Ranger Z518C boat if the pro is Ranger Cup qualified, and the top co-angler award is a Ranger Z117 boat. The highest finishing pro from the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship will advance to the following year’s Forrest Wood Cup for the chance to compete on the sport’s biggest stage. FLW will also provide a Ranger boat for use in the Forrest Wood Cup.

South Africa is the fifth country to sign on for the international sanctioning program, joining Canada, South Korea, China, and Mexico.

“We are thrilled to add South Africa to our growing list of countries offering FLW events,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW president of operations. “The global bass fishing community has embraced FLW as a unifying force as we strive to provide unsurpassed opportunities for anglers, fans and sponsors worldwide. South Africa has incredibly dedicated anglers that we are pleased to welcome into the FLW family.”

Additional FLW qualifying tournaments in other countries are forthcoming. Watch FLWFishing.com for details.

Named after the founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW introduced its Fishing League Worldwide tagline in 2014 to better reflect its status as the world’s largest tournament fishing organization. In early 2015, FLW expanded its presence on the world stage with the introduction of a sanctioning program allowing international partners to license the iconic brand and run FLW tournaments abroad.

About FLW

FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat: @FLWFishing.