By David Gold
August 31 – Major League Soccer outfit Sporting Kansas City will continue to name their stadium after Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Foundation, despite the cyclist’s decision not to fight doping allegations.
Last week, the American (pictured below) had his record seven Tour de France titles stripped from him and was given a life ban by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
Although he maintains his innocence, the 40-year-old will not fight the charges and has accused his detractors of a “witch hunt”.
Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer, set up the Lance Armstrong Foundation, of which Livestrong is a brand, to help others affected by the disease.
It is known for its iconic yellow bracelets and has raised hundreds of millions of dollars since being set up.
Despite last week’s events, the Foundation has received a significant upsurge in donations.
Kansas City’s 18,500 seater Livestrong Sporting Park is part of a naming rights partnership.
The charity does not pay for naming rights as such – instead, the club donates $7.5 million (£4.7 million/€6 million) from stadium revenues to the charity for the duration of the deal, which runs until 2016.
“The naming rights partnership between our stadium and Livestrong provides an opportunity to spread health and wellness messages that emphasises the spirit of cancer survivorship,” said Sporting Kansas City chief executive Robb Heineman.
“Livestrong’s focus is the fight against cancer and the support of 28 million people around the world affected by this disease, and we believe strongly in this mission.”
Organisations including Nike Inc., Anheuser-Busch and sunglasses maker Oakley have also pledged to continue their support to the Foundation.
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