Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) President Garth Gayle says the new deal struck between the body and sporting goods manufacturer Puma was the best one for the country.

At the JAAA’s annual general meeting held at Jamaica College last weekend, Gayle confirmed reports carried by the Jamaica Observer that the JAAA had opted to re-sign with Puma whose existing contract runs out at the end of the year.

While still not sharing the worth or duration of the new deal, Gayle, who responded to questions from the Observer, through a public relations firm, said they had advised Puma what the terms of another competing bid was and felt they did what was best for Jamaica’s track and field.

The JAAA had declined an offer from competing brand adidas worth up to US$40,400,000 (over $6 billion) over eight years between 2025-2032, an increase from another offer of US$26,000,000 (over $4 billion) that was said to have been made in 2013 and was to have also been for eight years as well.

The adidas proposal offered an “annual retainer of US$2.5 million” ($393 million) included in a budget of just under US$3 million ($471 million) in addition to products worth up to another US$2.13 million ($334 million) per year.

Dr Warren Blake, who was president of the JAAA in 2013, has, however, denied that any offer was made at the time.

In his response to the Observer, Gayle said that while there are some “confidentiality provisions” in most sponsorship agreements, “We can share that one of the stipulations is that whatever terms a competitor may offer, they have to be shared with the current sponsor. We acted accordingly and came to the conclusion that the Puma offer was more beneficial to Jamaica.”

One stipulation he shared was that “The Puma offer does not include any penalty for failing to achieve any medal targets”, which was in response to a ‘reduction’ clause in the adidas proposal.

The adidas proposal said failure by Jamaica to win at least five medals, including one gold, at either the World Athletics Championships or the Olympic Games,” then the annual retainer for the subsequent following contract year would be reduced by US$250,000 ($39 million).”

Adidas had offered a US$2.5-million retainer for each of the eight years of the contract.

Additionally Gayle said they were honouring “Puma’s loyalty to JAAA during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining their support, when they could have declared ‘force majeure’ [greater force relating to an act of God] and paused their payments.”

“Adidas had been the JAAA sponsor up to 2001, when we were informed that they were not interested in renewing their sponsorship,” Gayle said. “It was at this time that Puma agreed to be our sponsor. Since then, Puma has extended their support beyond our contract, providing gear and cash to individual school programmes, the National High School Athletic Championships and other national competitions.”