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Telecom Giant AT&T Ends Sponsorship Deal with Tiger Woods

   Decision  by  the  American telecom giant follows the world number one
   golfer's admission to marital infidelities

   VOA News 31 December 2009
   tiger woods and his wife

Photo: AP

   Tiger Woods and his wife

   U.S.  telecommunications  giant AT&T says it has ended its sponsorship
   deal  with  world number one golfer Tiger Woods, who is taking a leave
   of absence from competition after admitting to marital infidelities.
   An  AT&T  statement  Thursday said the company would no longer sponsor
   Woods,  but  it  would  continue to sponsor the AT&T National PGA Tour
   event,  which Woods has hosted.  Neither Woods nor his representatives
   have commented on the announcement.
   AT&T  is the latest corporation to terminate its endorsement deal with
   the American billionaire athlete.
   Consulting   firm   Accenture   dropped  Woods  from  its  advertising
   campaigns,  while  Swiss  watch  maker  Tag  Heuer  only  cut the golf
   superstar from its ads in the United States.
   American  multinational  mega-manufacturer  Proctor and Gamble stopped
   using  Woods in its ads for its Gillette brand men's personal grooming
   products.
   Earlier  this  month,  Woods  announced  he was taking an "indefinite"
   break  from playing golf to focus on his family life after allegations
   he  had been involved in extramarital affairs with more than 12 women.
   Woods'  usually  closely-guarded  personal life has been under intense
   scrutiny  since  he  crashed  his  sport  utility  vehicle outside his
   Florida  home  in  a pre-dawn accident on November 27.  Reports of his
   alleged affairs emerged following the accident.
   Woods  and  his  Swedish-born  wife,  Elin, have been married for five
   years, and have two young children.

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