Sprinter Dutee Chand strikes two-year endorsement deal with Puma

Sprinter Dutee Chand, who won India’s first gold at the World University Games last month, on Thursday signed up with Puma, her first brand endorsement deal.

The endorsement is for two years and will see Chand lend her name to a range of custom-made sportswear from the firm. She will feature in advertising for Puma, firm’s India Managing Director Abhishek Ganguly said. 

While Ganguly did not specify the size of the deal, celebrity managers said Dutee’s endorsement would be around ~30-50 lakh for the two-year period. Chand is also the first from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) in India to bag a significant endorsement. “Her endorsement will give companies the confidence to sign up celebrities from the LGBTQ community,” said Indranil Das Blah, founding partner, Kwan Entertainment.

The firm said it was helping Chand with her training needs to qualify for next year’s Tokyo Olympics.