PUMA, a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures athletic and casual footwear, apparel and accessories — has signed a long-term partnership deal with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) stars Washington Sundar and Devdutt Parikkal
As a result, the two cricketers will now join PUMA’s impressive roaster of cricketers, which already include India skipper Virat Kohli, wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul, women’s national cricketer Sushma Verma.
Considered the future of Indian Cricket, Washington and Devdutt have been punching above their weights in major cricketing tournaments. Sundar’s all-round performance in Australia helped the Indian cricket team clinch a historic away test series win and Padikkal emerged as a ‘find of the season’ with his stellar performance for RCB in his debut IPL season last year.
Commenting on the ove, Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, Puma India, and Southeast Asia said: “At PUMA, we are committed to promoting new-age cricketing talent in India. Washington and Devdutt have displayed remarkable resilience and grit on the field that’s led to their meteoric rise as athletes. We have always believed in supporting not just established players, but also talent with immense future potential. We will continue to partner with young athletes, also at grassroots to give back to India’s sporting ecosystem.”
Commenting on the association, Washington said: “Feels great to be associated with a brand like PUMA which has some of the world’s greatest athletes in their roaster. Watching Skipper Virat Kohli and KL Rahul closely has given me a deeper insight into the brand. PUMA adds a lot of credibility to an athletes’ journey and I’m excited to work with the brand in India.”
Meanwhile, Padikkal expressed: “I’m extremely excited to sign with Puma. The brand is associated with the best athletes around the world and I’m honoured to be a part of that legacy. A partnership with a global sports brand like PUMA is really a big motivation for young athletes like me. I’m looking forward to a long-term association with the brand.”