Puma has announced the termination of kits contract with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
The terminated contract was entered by the AFN under Ibrahim Gusau in Qatar in July 2019 and worth $2.67million.
However, the contract was marred by controversy which led to serious crisis in the AFN. Thus, without the backing of the Federal Government through the Minister of Sports Sunday Dare, Nigeria did not honour the contract.
The sportswear giant announced the termination of the four-year deal in a letter addressed to the AFN on August 4, titled ‘official Notification of Terminating Sponsoring & Licensing Agreement’, and Herman J. Brink, the Local Manager and Manuel S. Edlheimb, a Company Director.
“We are referring to the Sponsoring & Licensing Agreement (the “Agreement”) signed between our Company and your Federation,” Puma said in the letter.
“As a direct consequence of the recent developments, particularly at the Tokyo Olympics Games 2020, and pursuant to Clauses 9.2 and 7.3 of the Agreement, we hereby terminate the Agreement with immediate effect.
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“PUMA explicitly declares to be discharged from any and all obligations towards all stakeholders involved and reserves all rights against these entities and individuals.
“The official notification is dispatched to all stakeholders listed on page two.” The letter was signed by Herman J. Brink, the Local Manager and Manuel S. Edlheimb, a Company Director.
The sports ministry had insisted that Team Nigeria would not wear Puma kits at the Tokyo Games.
“It is common knowledge that the former AFN president, Ibrahim Shehu Gusau, with his co-travellers, is desperate to extricate himself from a contract that he controversially signed the AFN into, which has now placed him in a position of trying to blackmail Team Nigeria into wearing the kits,” sports minister Sunday Dare said.
“Ibrahim Gusau has conveniently neglected to tell Nigerians that he and Sunday Adeleye signed a non-disclosure agreement with Puma, with the details unknown to the ministry and board members of the AFN.
“The minister and the ministry will not commit the Nigerian government and Nigerian athletes to a deal which the ministry has not sighted the contractual documents that ties Nigerian athletes to a five-year contract with Puma.”
Under the deal gold medalists at the Olympic Games would get $15,000, silver medalists, $5,000, and bronze medalists get $3000 from the terminated Puma deal.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
