Congratulations are in order for Levi Cadogan, a young Barbadian athlete with a bright future in track and field. Cadogan made history yesterday by becoming the first Barbadian to sign a professional sports contract right out of secondary school.
The young sprinter has acquired a two year deal with sportswear giant Adidas and will be managed by Joseph Codrington of Codrington Elite Performance. “This year has probably been the best year for me,” says Cadogan, detailing his marked improvements in time and sharing his excitement about the future, “I like to see the people around me happy…this is a great achievement for me.”
“The contract term is from now until the end of 2016,” says Codrington, “this will take him straight through the Olympic year.” Hailing the achievement as unprecedented, Codrington outlined the plans moving forward for Cadogan, comparing his potential to that of Usain Bolt of Jamaica.
Cadogan has decided to forego an academic scholarship and will continue his training in Barbados, a bold move that his family is confident will reap great rewards. “I am glad for today,” says Cadogan’s mother, “I told Levi that he is creating history and years from now people will look back on this day and remember. Levi will do great things for Barbados.”
Cadogan’s next appearance will be at the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas where he will personally hand his signed contract to the Global Manager for Addidas.