Agent: Oscar has received great support
2013-02-17 22:40
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Johannesburg - Oscar Pistorius has received
"overwhelming support" from his fans, his agent said on Sunday.
Pretorius remained in custody in a Pretoria police station
charged with the shooting murder of his model girlfriend.
Peet van Zyl said outside the Brooklyn police station soon
after visiting Pistorius that "a lot of fans" had sent their good
wishes.
Van Zyl said the support was "really on a global scale.
South African fans, international fans from literally all over the world".
Running career
Van Zyl said he visited Pistorius primarily to discuss his
running career and would not respond to a question about the mental and
emotional state of the 26-year-old athlete.
Pistorius broke down and wept at his first court appearance
on Friday after he was charged with the murder of model and reality TV show
contestant Reeva Steenkamp , who was shot multiple times in his house in the
early hours of Thursday.
"I am not going to comment on anything except that
(what) is related to his athletics career at this point in time," Van Zyl
told reporters outside the police station.
Van Zyl called Steenkamp's killing tragic and said he
visited Pistorius as a friend as well as an agent.
"Obviously from a management side and also as a friend,
it's a tragic circumstance," Van Zyl said, "and we can only give
Oscar our support at this point in time".
The main point of the visit was to update the multiple
Paralympic champion and Olympic athlete on his crumbling track career and the
situation with his sponsors, which were now expected to step back from their
association with the world's most famous disabled athlete.
Van Zyl would release a statement either later Sunday or on
Monday, he said, with exact details of the races and sponsorship deals that
were now affected by Pistorius' arrest and murder charge.
He said on Saturday that he had begun cancelling races for
Pistorius scheduled for 2013, including Diamond League appearances and
exhibition runs against fellow Paralympic champions Alan Oliveria of Brazil and
Jonnie Peacock of Britain.
Sunday was likely the first time that Pistorius was told
about the cancellations.
Sponsors
"The nature of my visit was on a professional manner to
discuss his career and the plans that we had made for this year with the IAAF
(world) championships in Moscow as the main goal for this year," Van Zyl
said.
"We obviously just discussed the races and the
contracts that had been signed and secured for this year and also to keep him
up to date with regard to the sponsors."
Sportswear giant Nike and eyewear manufacturer Oakley are
among Pistorius' big-name sponsors.
Meanwhile the family of Reeva Steenkamp said her body was
back in her hometown of Port Elizabeth and a private funeral had been planned
for Tuesday.
Adam Steenkamp, the late model and law graduate's brother,
said: "Reeva is back home."
The family said on Sunday that Steenkamp would be cremated
in a ceremony closed to the public and the media.
Visit News24's Oscar Pistorius Special Report.
- SAPA
