- Tebogo and Pesela have received sponsorship offers from companies like Nike and Adidas
- Experts say the two should be careful of the terms that come with the offers
- Usain Bolt’s deal with Puma paid him $10 million annually
SPORTS REPORTER
Following their exploits at the just-ended World Athletics U-20 Championships that were held in Nairobi, Kenya the country’s gold medalists from the competition, Tebogo Letsile and Anthony Pesela, have received several sponsorship offers from reputable apparel companies, amongst them Nike and Adidas, this publication can reveal.
The offers come as no surprise, considering how the two performed at the competition. It is Tebogo who cut a blazing trail to Botswana’s medal conquest at the U-20 global athletics championships when he won the country its first-ever 100m medal – a gold – at the competition, or any global championship for that matter. He also made history by recording Botswana’s 100m national record (NR) of 10.11 seconds. Adding on to his 100m feat, the Kanye-born athlete won a silver medal in the 200m race, which was also the country’s first, at a global athletics championships.
Not to be outsmarted by his compatriot, Pesela showed that he has what it takes to become the future of Botswana’s athletics after he finished first in the 400m final with a championship record of 44.58 seconds to win the country’s second medal at the competition. His time of 44.58 seconds also qualified him for the World Athletics Senior Championships that are slated for Oregon, USA next year. Pesela went on to prove himself pivotal to the 4x400m relay team which notched a world U-20 leading 3:05.22 to win Botswana’s third gold and fourth medal at the competition.
Following their achievements, these two athletes have received sponsorship offers from international apparel brands, among them Nike and Adidas. This has been confirmed by the Vice President (Administration) of the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA), Oabona Theetso. “But BAA has advised them to be careful of the offers,” Theetso said in an interview. “This is because some of them might prove to be of no benefit in the long run. The terms that come with the offers ought to be carefully studied.”
This publication understands that BAA on Wednesday invited Olympian Glody Dube to offer the young athletes advice on how to handle the contracts being offered and on their athletics careers.
Meanwhile, The Business Weekly Sports has it on good authority that athletes like Isaac Makwala, Christine Botlogetswe and Nigel Amos have sponsorship contracts with Nike.
ABOUT THE SPONSORSHIP OFFERS
Speaking with this publication on conditions of anonymity, one of the national team athletes told this publication that companies like Nike and Adidas usually pay athletes a minimum of $15 000 (about P168 000) every six months. “There are bonuses that they usually offer when an athlete wins a competition,” the athlete said. “One can actually make reasonable money if one negotiates the contract well. But the contracts usually come with strict terms. For example, one has to wear their brand on and off the field. It is strictly their brand. One is not allowed to wear that of competitors.”
According to a USA-based publication, Sportico, Usain Bolt made more than $32 million leading up to the 2016 Olympics, most of which came from endorsements (Bolt’s deal with Puma paid him $10 million annually).
