Ugandan runners sign big deals with Nike, Adidas
Musagala (R) leads Moses Kipsiro (910) in a pack of 1,500m runners during the 2012 National Championships at Namboole Stadium. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA
What you need to know:
Athletics. Although they might be earning less, the Ugandans can now be mentioned in the same breath with world top soccer stars like Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale, who pocket billions in endorsements.
KAMPALA. Four Ugandan runners have signed big money contracts with top kit manufacturers Nike and Adidas. Winnie Nanyondo, a bronze medallist at the Commonwealth Games two months ago and 400m national champion Denis Opio are now contracted to Adidas while middle distance ace Ronald Musagala and Joshua Cheptegei have signed up for Nike.
The four runners, who had an outstanding season, are coached by Rafael Kasajja. Nanyondo, currently the best Ugandan female athlete, signed a one-year deal with Adidas at the headquarters of her management company – Global Sports Communications – in Nijmegen, Netherlands last month.
Shortly after, Opio, who was controversially omitted from the 400m startlist at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, secured endorsement with the same company.
Musagala penned his Nike deal in May while Cheptegei also inked his with the same company after winning 10,000m at the World Junior Championships in Oregon in July.
Under the agreements, the runners will pocket $100,000 (about Shs262m) if they win gold at next year’s World Championships in Beijing, China. Although coach Kasajja refused to divulge how much the athletes would be paid monthly, Daily Monitor established that they will earn appearance fees in all their races besides receiving competition and training kit.
Nanyondo and Opio join Commonwealth 10,000m champion Moses Kipsiro on the list of Ugandans endorsed by Adidas. Kipsiro, Uganda’s only gold medalist in Glasgow crossed from Puma early this year. Puma also severed ties with Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF).
The Ugandan runners are now in the same category with world soccer stars Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale, who are endorsed by Adidas.
In the Nike family, Musagala and Cheptegei join Ugandan Olympic and world marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich. On the world stage, the Nike brand is graced by the likes of basketball superstar LeBron James and Real Madrid soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo
Although loathed by local athletics governing body, UAF, coach Kasajja has started a project that is likely to change the country’s athletics for the better if given support.
In just a short time, he has turned Nanyondo, Opio, Musagala and Cheptegei into potential world beaters. He also had a hand in the comeback of World Mountain Championships gold medallist Isaac Kiprop.
“Personally, I take athletics as a business which many other people in Uganda have failed to realise,” Kasajja said. “Much as many people want to drag me and my runners into cheap politics, I still stick to business and I am happy it is paying off for my athletes. 2014 has been a great year for us and more is yet to come,” he added.
