Former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell has ended his six-year association with Nike.
According to reports in the Jamaican media, the popular American sportswear manufacturer offered Powell a financial package that was significantly lower than the amount in his contract that ended December last year.
In April this year, Powell was billed to anchor one of two Jamaican teams at the Penn Relays. However, one day before the race, word started circulating that he would not be running, fueling speculations that sponsorship issues were behind his withdrawal.
The Jamaican will now be sponsored by Li Ning, a Chinese company that’s far less familiar than Nike in the Americas.
Li Ning Company Limited is a major sports brand enterprise in the People’s Republic of China. Its products include mainly footwear, apparel, accessories and equipment for sport and leisure uses under its own LI-NING brand. The company, which opened its U.S. headquarters and flagship store in Portland, Oregon in January this year, endorses a number of athletes and teams, both at home in China and abroad. Nike and Adidas are listed as its main competitors.
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