German sportswear giant Puma has strengthened its position within Caribbean athletics by agreeing a partnership with the Athletics Association of Barbados.
The agreement will cover the upcoming summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as the 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships, which will be staged in London, England and Doha, Qatar, respectively.
As part of the deal, Puma will provide Barbados athletes with race and training wear during the three events, and supply apparel to the AAB. The company has an existing endorsement deal with Barbadian athlete Ramon Gittens.
Puma already holds partnerships with the athletics bodies in fellow Caribbean nations the Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada and Jamaica. It also has a long-running endorsement deal with Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt.
“Barbados is another Caribbean country where the spirit and appeal of track and field really sweeps across the island,” Pascal Rolling, Puma’s head of sports marketing for running, said. “There is a passion for the sport there that connects it with the other federations we have under contract and it’s a great addition for us.”