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Asafa PowellBy Anthony Foster, trackalerts.com
Asafa Powell has been with Nike for his entire career, but that is due to change.
Powell, the former world 100m record holder has signed a new deal with an unknown company and he could race in his new gear as soon as the Rome Diamond League event on Thursday. A source close to trackalerts.com informs that it is the Chinese outfit, Li Ning, who also sponsors World and Olympic champion and IAAF Diamond League Ambassador from Norway, Andreas Thorkilsden, and Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva. Li Ning is also the sponsor for the Brussels IAAF Diamond League.
Paul Doyle, Powell’s agent, in an exclusive interview with trackalerts.com from Rome, confirmed that there is a new deal, but said he could not say much on the matter. He said it’s up to the company to disclose the bulk of the information.
Asked if it’s true that Asafa signed a new contract, he replied: “It looks that way, yep.”
Is it the same company, he was asked? “No, it’s not Nike … That’s all I can say right now. I am actually having a meeting this evening with the new company and they are going to be the ones to decide how we release the information”.
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“What I can say right now is we have signed a new contract and it’s not with Nike,” he said.
Asked if this will affect him training with Stephen Francis, who we understand is a Nike coach, Doyle replied: “He is a Nike coach, but no, it won’t affect that … it won’t affect the arrangement that we have”.
Then came a to and fro with the agent in which Doyle was quite guarded, not opting to give much significant detail.
TA: Stephen Francis will still remain his coach?
Doyle: “Absolutely, yep”
Trackalerts.com, who broke the story in April that Powell was without a contract, was reliably informed that Powell’s previous deal with Nike, which ended on December 31, was in the region of US$750,000 but they were offering less than US$300,000 for a new deal, which was refused.
TA: Information reaching us at trackalerts.com is this one is huge, would this be better than his previous Nike deal?
Doyle: ”I don’t ever comment on the numbers,”
TA: No not the numbers but if its a better deal than what he had or what Nike was offering?
Doyle: “It’s definitely a better deal than what Nike was offering”
TA: But not what he had under the previous deal?
Doyle “No, I am not commenting on that”.
TA: Is this a two or three year deal?
Doyle: “I cannot talk about that either … sorry”.
TA: Thanks very much…
MVP has predicted two surprises for the Rome race on their twitter page and pundits feel that the new contract is one and the other is a special time by Powell.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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