By Ajuma Edwina Ameh
A Nigerian athlete, Ese Brume, who recently won Nigeria’s first medal at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics, has lost an additional cash gift of $3,000, promised by German sportswear manufacturing giants, PUMA.
This followed the termination of PUMA’s four-year contract with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
The German sportswear manufacturing giants, had promised to give $15,000 to gold medalists, $5,000 to silver medalists while a bronze medalist will fetch athletes wearing the PUMA apparel at the games $3000.
According to PUMA, the termination of the deal was as a result of Nigeria’s athletes’ inability to wear the brand at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
In a letter signed by the company’s director Manuel Edlheimb, PUMA said it was officially notifying the AFN of its termination of sponsoring and Licensing Agreement.
The letter read in part: “We are referring to the licensing and sponsoring agreement signed between our company and your federation.
“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 reserve all rights against these entities and individuals”.
Sunday Dare and Ibrahim Gusau
The AFN under the leadership of Engr Ibrahim Gusau, had signed a 4-year contract with PUMA in 2019 which was due to expire in 2022.
Part of the contract is that PUMA will supply kits to all age categories of Nigeria’s Athletics team for four years at no cost.
In addition, gold medalists at the Olympic Games will earn $15,000, silver medalists will get $5,000 while a bronze medal will fetch athletes wearing the PUMA apparel at the games $3000.
This indicates that Ese Brume would have gotten an additional $3000 for winning a bronze medal wearing PUMA kit, if the contract was still on.
Brume had claimed a bronze medal after finishing third in the women’s long jump event.
Persecondnews gathered that the termination of the deal also comes amidst an alleged leadership tussle between the Ibrahim Gusau-led AFN board and that headed by the Minister for Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare.
The minister is said to have vowed that the Nigerian Athletes will not wear the PUMA kits, stating that the contract is “a subject of a criminal investigation.”
However, the Department of State Services cleared Gusau and his Vice-President, Sunday Adeleye over corruption allegations leveled against him by the sports ministry in 2020.
