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Japan's Asics takes shoes of Adidas to sponsor IAAF

Xinhua, December 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Japanese sportswear giant Asics was unveiled as IAAF's new official partner on Saturday, a day after the athletics' world governing body parted ways with Adidas three years early.

No financial details were released as Asics signed a multiple-year partnership that will cover the 2017 and 2019 world championships respectively in London and Doha.

"As part of the agreement, Asics will kit the officials and volunteers at all IAAF World Athletics Series events with Asics' footwear and apparel that will ensure the smooth running of these events.

"For Asics this important partnership will allow a strategic expansion of its brand recognition internationally by association with the world's top athletics events that are viewed by significant global audiences," read an IAAF official release.

The announcement came on the day when an IAAF special congress overwhelmingly passed president Sebastian Coe's reform package in Monaco.

"Global athletics starts a new chapter today based upon solid foundations of modern governance and a renewed determination to protect and promote clean athletes," commented Coe through the IAAF website.

"We are delighted to have attracted Asics, a world-class sportswear designer and manufacturer, as our latest Official IAAF Partner to share this new journey with us. This agreement is a huge endorsement of a bright future for athletics whose universality and diversity makes it a natural partner for a global corporation like Asics," he added.

Asics, whose deal with IAAF was brokered by the ruling body's long-term commercial partner Dentsu Inc, now sits alongside with Canon, Seiko, TDK and Toyota as the IAAF's five official partners, while Mondo their official supplier.

Adidas, whose 11-year spoinsorship had been reportedly worth at least 33 million dollars and set to run until 2019, cut short its deal with the track and field's ruling body on Friday.

It was widely considered that the German sportswear giant backed out following corruption scandals involving disgraced former IAAF president Lamine Diack and other top officials as well as the massive doping issues of Russian athletes. Endit