Puma in Mico College's corner

The Mico University College track and field team has received a major sponsorship boost from shoe and sportswear company, Puma, ahead of this season's intercollegiate championships.

Juliet Campbell, project manager for Puma, handed over the gear to Raymond Graham, director of sports, at a presentation ceremony which was held on the school ground yesterday.

Campbell, who represented Jamaica in 200 metres and 400 metres at the IAAF World Championships and Olympic Games, said her company was looking forward to the partnership with Mico over the next three years.

"This will be a continuous relationship, and as long as the athletes are doing well and they are producing on the track we will be there with them," said Campbell, who did not disclose the details of the deal.

"We are starting out our sponsorship with their track team and, eventually, from there it may branch out to other sports teams," Campbell said. "All we need is for the athletes to perform well, so that the brand can be visible here at Mico," she said.

The athletes will be fitted with Puma sneakers, shirts and spikes.

Graham said he was very delighted to get the sponsorship from Puma and was looking to working with them.

"I feel great because this is a good contribution from Puma and it will go a far way in helping to motivate our entire school community," said Graham.

"We didn't have a sponsor before and so this will also take some of the burden off the school in terms of funding, because this is a wonderful thing that Puma has done for us," Graham said.

Graham added that the gear will be used by the athletes to participate in upcoming meets and also to train, because in any programme training is very important and without the proper footwear their progress will be hindered.

"We want to be on par with the other universities in Jamaica, and so this is the start of great things for us because I know that we are going to make Puma very proud of us," Graham noted.

- Robert Bailey