PUMA has terminated the 4-year kits sponsorship contract with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
Gatekeepers News reports that German sportswear manufacturing company, Puma has pulled the plug on the 4-year kits sponsorship contract with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
On July 24, 2019, AFN under the leadership of Ibrahim Gusau signed a 4-year contract worth $2.76m in Doha.
Part of the contract stated that PUMA will supply apparels to all age categories to Nigeria’s Athletics team from 2019 to 2022 at no cost.
In addition, gold medalists at the Olympic Games will get $15,000, silver medalists will earn $5,000 while $3000 will go to bronze medalists who wear the PUMA apparel at the games.
However, the minister of Youth and sports Sunday Dare vowed in a statement that Nigerian athletes will not wear PUMA because of a leadership tussle between him and the Ibrahim Gusau led AFN board.
While several efforts were made to give the athletes the PUMA kits including shipping bags of kits with 40 items each to Tokyo through the Nigerian Embassy in Japan, Minister – Dare wrote to the Ambassador, stopping him from sending the kits to the athletes.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services DSS, on September 3, 2020, cleared the Ibrahim Gusau led board and its marketing firm Dynamic Sporting Solutions Nigeria Limited of receiving money meant for the AFN.
The minister despite this, failed to allow the Nigerian athletics team to wear the Puma branded apparel at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics, arguing that it’s “a subject of a criminal investigation”.
In reaction to this, PUMA in a letter addressed to the AFN, announced the sudden termination of the contract — about two years after it was signed.
The letter, dated August 4, referred to the premature termination of Nigerian athletes’ inability to wear the brand at the ongoing Olympics.
“We are referring to the licensing and sponsoring agreement signed between our company and your federation,” the letter read.
“As a direct consequence of the recent developments, particularly at the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 and pursuant to clauses 9.2 and 7.3 of the Agreement, we hereby terminate the Agreement with immediate effect.
“Puma especially declares to be discharged from any or all obligations towards all stakeholders involved and reserves all rights against these entities and individuals.”
