Athletics-Coe promises to fight Nestle to save kids programme

By Gene Cherry Portland, Oregon, March 20 (Reuters) - The IAAF will not let Nestle walk away from an agreement that benefits millions of young people and trainers without a fight, athletics chief Sebastian Coe told Reuters. The Swiss food giant said last month it would end its partnership with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Kids Athletics programme because of widespread allegations of corruption and bribery in the sport. An independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency said in a report that "corruption was embedded" at the IAAF. The report said a clique run by former IAAF president Lamine Diack covered up organised doping and blackmailed athletes while senior officials looked the other way. Diack is under formal investigation in France on suspicion of corruption and money-laundering linked to concealing positive drug tests, in concert with Russian officials. Coe disputed Nestle's move. "We saw no justification in the way they went about their termination," he said in an interview at the IAAF world indoor championships that ended on Sunday. "They were not a global partner," the former British Olympic champion said. "This was actually removing the opportunity for thousands of young people, millions of young people across 15 different countries, and in the space of one year removing the ability to coach and train three-four thousand coaches and trainers." Nestle said in its February statement that it believed the allegations against the IAAF "could negatively impact our reputation and image and (we) will therefore terminate our existing agreement with the IAAF, established in 2012." STRONG REACTION Coe reacted strongly to the termination at the time and he promised in the Portland interview to continue to fight for the programme. "I am still slightly bemused by the decision given that their issue is about reputation, yet at the height of the Lance Armstrong issue they re-signed with the Tour de France. You were left being a little confused by their motives," he said. The BBC has reported German sportswear company Adidas AG will also end its sponsorship deal with the IAAF almost four years early. Coe told Reuters though, "Adidas is staying with us through 2016 and we will keep talking to them." He said he had spent a lot of time the past two months speaking to global partners, taking them through the reform agenda he has initiated to bring trust back to the sport. "We take it very seriously and in a large part, overwhelmingly in large part, they (sponsors) actually normally concluded they want to be part of the change process," said Coe, who became president of the IAAF in August. "I have said, help us do this. You are world-class businesses. You've had your own difficult times too in your own histories, now help us shape this." (Additional reporting by Steve Keating; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)