Sportswear designing company, Puma has canceled its four-year contract with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria after the athlete’s failed to wear the brand at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
This was contained in a statement signed by the company’s director, Manuel Edlheimb, on Wednesday, August 4, 2021.
According to the Puma director, “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 under 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.”
It was gathered by Punch that PUMA kits including shipping bags of kits with 40 items each that were supposed to be given to the athletes in Tokyo through the Nigerian Embassy in Japan failed after several efforts were made.
It was gathered that the cancellation followed after the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development declared that athletes were not going to use the Puma kits for the Olympics. According to the ministry, the contract is a subject of a criminal investigation.
Meanwhile, Trouble started when the Ministry accused Mr. Gusau and former technical director of AFN, Sunday Adeleye, of refusing to disclose the contractual agreement they signed with Puma on behalf of AFN.
It was gathered that the AFN under the supervision of Ibrahim Gusau entered into a questionable $2.76m deal with Puma on July 24, 2019, in Doha. A deal that led to a major crisis that shatters the athletics body into two divisions, with both Gusau and Adeleye accused of sidelining other members of the board during the signing of the deal.
The deal, signed by Gusau-led AFN was expected to expire in 2022, and part of the contract is that PUMA will supply outfits to all age categories to Nigeria’s Athletics team for four years at no fee.
According to the contract, gold medalists at the Olympic Games will earn $15,000, silver medalists will get 5,000 while a bronze medal will fetch athletes wearing PUMA outfits at the games for $3,000.
However, the statement released by Puma did not reveal whether damages would be paid or kits already given to the AFN would be returned as of the time of filing this report.
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