Nearly 3 tonnes of kiwifruit to be handed out at Tauranga's AIMS Games

Zespri and kiwifruit post harvest suppliers have teamed up as a sponsor of AIMS Games. Photo / Supplied

The Anchor AIMS Games are coming up in Tauranga next month, bringing 11,500 intermediate students from 369 schools across New Zealand and the Pacific for a week of sporting competition.

Zespri and kiwifruit post-harvest suppliers have teamed up as a sponsor and will provide athletes and supporters with their daily dose of Vitamin C, supplying nearly 3 tonnes of Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit across the week of AIMS Games, or 25,000 pieces of fruit.

There will be 55 schools from the Bay of Plenty taking part.

This year's tournament is comparable in numbers to the 2016 Rio Olympics and will have more athletes than the last Commonwealth Games.

Thirty-two different sporting codes will be represented, ranging from BMX racing to yachting.

Zespri's head of communication and external relations, Michael Fox, said: "Given the tournament is in the heart of kiwifruit country it's also a great chance for us to showcase the quality kiwifruit grown in this region and support a local event."

There will be two Zespri marquees at the AIMS Games, one at Blake Park and the other at Gordon Spratt Reserve, hosting activities, games, and a chill-out zone.