Nigerian born, Montego Bay-raised American college student/athlete Emmanuel Onyia has made a bold step to claim his share of the booming multimillion-dollar global sports/leisure apparel industry with the launch of his own brand on Monday, June 6.

His told the Jamaica Observer recently that his Yaadi Sports brand came out of the need to blend the Jamaican sports/entertainment culture with sportswear “in a new and vibrant way”.

The website, noted the student/athlete at Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee, Florida, said his apparel catalogue will include caps, tops, shorts, leisure and sportswear.

Being a full time student athlete with a double major in international affairs and economics, Onyia’s new challenge as owner/CEO of the company brings a new set of responsibilities, plus added demand on his time.

“I always wanted to do my own thing (and) the idea started last year and, while it has been a lot of hard work and sleepless nights, we are on the right track and we are excited about the future,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The 22-year-old discus/shot put athlete, who has a year left at FSU, said if all things go according to plan, the company that he started with savings from his scholarship cheques could be worth about US$100,000 after the first year.

Mapping the potential path to growth, Onyia thinks his fledgling company could be worth between US$800,000 and US$1 million in three years.

The registered company was started with about US$12,000, most of which was spent on legal fees and making sure the organisation was fully compliant with US laws.

Onyia, a former national junior shot put champion while at Munro College in 2011, started the company with his fiance Alyssa Schmid, a full-time registered nurse who throws in yeoman service in helping to build the company.

Additionally, he has also formed strong alliances and is in discussions with potential investors. Onyia disclosed that his good friend, NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, is on board and working with him.

Yaadi Sports has already signed one athlete, Jamaican discus thrower Chad Wright, who is on the verge of qualifying for the Olympic Games. Onyia explained that signing professional athletes and national sports teams is a direction which the company intends to follow.

“We know Chad. I have known him for a long time and we know what he stands for and how hard he works, and we wanted to be part of his journey and to share his dreams,” Onyia noted.

The name for the company might have being birthed during his first year in college as he said leaving home in Montego Bay at age 18 and going to college in the American Midwest was difficult. “It was really hard; I was the only Jamaican on the team in Minnesota and I was always homesick an lonely.

“To me, Yaadi means home… I can have a piece of home no matter where I am and this is what we want this brand to be — this is a piece of Jamaica” he said.

“Anybody can wear the Yaadi brand, not just the professional athlete or those who go to the gym and run regularly. We make things for just about everyone,” he said, adding the company hopes to open a store in Jamaica as soon as possible.