Manuel Borba, director of the Penticton Soccer Club, stands inside the multi-use indoor facility. The facility announced it received a major sponsorship from Adidas Canada, and will be known as the Adidas Sportsplex once it is completed.
With the city’’s indoor multi-use facility slated for its official opening in October the facility secured a major sponsorship from Adidas Canada.
Manuel Borba, Penticton Soccer Club director, said the building, located at King’’s Park will be named the Adidas Sportsplex.
The five-year agreement was signed Saturday with Adidas representative Lorne Loiselle.
Borba credited Brad Leetch, who once played with the Tim Hortons Pinnacles, for arranging discussions between Adidas and the soccer club.
Leetch, who owns Soccer Express, one of Canada’’s largest soccer equipment companies, heard the facility was looking for a major sponsor.
"We were very fortunate to have Brad make this contact for us, otherwise it would be pretty hard for us to touch base with Adidas Canada," said Borba. "We’’re very impressed they would tie their name to our building and we’’re very happy to be going forward with this sponsorship."
Without a major sponsor the club would have had to rely solely on revenues from rental of the facility. However with Adidas now on board it will ease the pressures of paying off the facility.
The City of Penticton is contributing $300,000 towards the project and Ironman Canada is donating $250,000 towards the running track of the $2.2-million facility.
The soccer club and South Okanagan Youth Soccer Association are chipping in $100,000, and the city is borrowing $1.5 million, which the soccer club must repay over the next 20 years.
"Any extra money we can bring in on the advertising, it will help us pay the building quicker," he said. "Also, any extra money we have that we don’’t have to put into the payment of the building we can use towards soccer development for the kids."
Borba noted that in the spring the Penticton Soccer Club had signed a deal with Adidas and every player in the South Okanagan Youth Soccer Association is wearing Adidas uniforms.
"We’’re the first team in the Interior of B.C. to become an Adidas soccer club," he added. "With the building being the Adidas Sportsplex, it shows a commitment that Adidas Canada has made to Penticton and the South Okanagan."
Borba noted when Adidas visited Penticton in the spring they were very impressed with not only the facility but also the club’’s vision of soccer for the future in the area.
Because the building is designed to accommodate a variety of activities, including field hockey and ultimate Frisbee other cities have taken note.
At the Peach City Classic soccer tournament held on the weekend, Borba was speaking with representatives from several soccer organizations including Kamloops and Calgary, about the building and its multi-use capabilities, the steps the club took to make the project happen.
As for progression of the project Borba said installation of the soft-sided liner should be completed later this week and then the electrical work can begin.
Completion of the turf and the running track that will border the field are scheduled to be completed in September.
Although the $2.2-million facility was looking at a February 2008 opening construction delays held the project up. Borba said barring anything unforeseen, the field will be open for use either Oct. 4 or Oct. 11.
The soccer club is currently accepting fall bookings for the facility. Anyone interested can contact Borba at 250-493-6883. Top of Page
