National Indoor 400m record holder, Arinze Chance received a much needed boost to his Track and Field career yesterday after inking a one-year deal with Banks DIH Limited to become a Powerade Brand Ambassador.
The 25-year-old sprinter who is hoping to qualify for this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan is now excited about his future.
“I just want to say thanks to all the parties involved and it’s definitely going to be a relationship that will be beneficial to both myself and Banks DIH, and by extension Powerade and the Coca-Cola company.”
Chance added “My athletics hopes would definitely be to go further than any athlete in Track and Field has gone in Guyana’s history, but to do that I need support and Banks DIH realized what I’ve done thus far, which is breaking the national Indoor 400m record, and they decided to partner with me.”
Chance who has also excelled in academics, having attended Bishops’ High, Queen’s College, the University of Trinidad and Tobago and the University of South Carolina added “I’m very appreciative of that because all this time the support really has been coming from my family and close friends. Now having corporate sponsorship makes it a lot easier to get through daily activities- your training, your therapy, your massage, your weight room sessions, your nutrition.”
Arinze’s father, Phillip who introduced him to Track and Field was understandably elated to witness the momentous occasion.
“It means a lot. This will go a far way,” said the elder Chance.
He also disclosed that many times the lack of support tempted him to request his son to step away from the track and focus solely on academics.
“But I understand dreams. It’s a strong desire, it’s everything, its passion. So I did not want to get in the way of him pursuing his dreams.”
Meanwhile, Communications Manager of Banks DIH Limited Troy Peters and Coca-Cola Brand Executive Jennifer Khan were both delighted to finalize the agreement between the company and the standout athlete.
They both praised Chance’s work ethic and his commitment to academic and sporting excellence, noting that those qualities were a natural fit for the Powerade brand.
Chance, a prodigious talent at the National School Championship, is the country’s national Indoor 400m record-holder, with a time of 46.15 seconds.
He will be competing this weekend at the flagship National Senior Championships with the aim of clinching an Olympic berth.
