On the 22 March, at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora on the West Coast of Demerara, the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) made the historic announcement that it had secured a ground breaking multi–year sponsorship with the German athletic apparel and footwear corporation, Adidas AG, valued at US$800,000. The agreement will provide a significant boost to the development of athletics in this country, as both elite and upcoming athletes will have access to the resources necessary to compete on the international stage.
The sponsorship deal, which was unveiled during the CARIFTA Games trials, is premised on athletic gear, equipment, and financial aid, is valued at US$300,000 for the first year, with US$250,000 committed for each of the following two years. Jamaica-based Guyanese, Cubie Seegobin, who has been involved in athletics for the last 47 years and is currently a sports agent, helped to broker the deal. The connection between our athletes and Adidas can be traced back to 2023 when Mr Seegobin advised our (then) 16-year-old track sensation Tianna Springer to opt for a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal with Adidas as against signing a professional contract, in order to remain eligible to participate later, on the US colleges’ athletic circuit. This association led to our track and field contingents being outfitted in Adidas clothing at the Central American and Caribbean Games, World Championships, and Pan Am Games that year, and being just one of eleven countries supplied directly by the sports entity for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Among the key figures in sports administration in attendance at the ceremony was Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr. who urged athletes to seize this opportunity to push towards World and Olympic championships. The minister noted that the country’s potential as a track and field nation, and its consistent success at the junior level, were key factors in forging the alliance with Adidas. Mr Ramson assured the athletes that the government remains fully committed to their success and that past struggles and embarrassments will no longer occur. “This is a landmark event,” Mr Ramson was quoted , as saying. “We are showing the world that Guyana has some of the best athletes. ….We want the best for you, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure you receive the best.”
The news of this deal followed shortly on the heels of the AAG’s belatedly staged AGM and Electoral Congress on 16 March. The elections of the executive were marred by controversy, much in the way, the organisation has been functioning in recent years. There was a walkout led the by incumbent President and six clubs (of which four were reportedly not eligible to vote) after a motion to postpone the elections was denied by an 8 – 6 vote. The newly elected President is Sheryl Hermonstine who had previously served as the first vice-president. Hermonstine was the Acting AAG President (for the then suspended head) at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in 2023, when, along with Mr Seegobin, had begun laying the groundwork for the Adidas sponsorship.
It is hoped that the new administration will not become embroiled with the kind of allegations that plagued the previous administration, where the president was suspended on more than one occasion, with accusations ranging from the lack of confidence, to the failure to be transparent in terms of financial housekeeping, and biasness in the selection of athletes and coaches to represent Guyana on the international stage.
Adidas is the second largest sportswear manufacturer in the world and the corporation fully expects their carefully selected partners to adhere to the highest standards of performance. Transparency and accountability are absolute staples of agreements of this nature. This sponsorship deal is for all clubs – including those which walked out of the AGM – and athletes in Guyana, and one would expect that all items – clothing , footwear, and equipment – and financial aid will be evenly distributed and can be accounted for. This agreement, the first of this magnitude, can eventually lead to other sporting disciplines in this country benefitting from a similar association with Adidas, or other manufacturers of sporting gear and clothing. The AAG bears the responsibility to ensure that this gift to athletics in Guyana is treated with the utmost respect and honour that it warrants.
