Texans in battle to sign Bolt

THE race for Usain Bolt appears to be down to two, with the Central Coast Mariners facing stiff competition for the Jamaican sprint king’s services from a new US franchise.

The incoming United Soccer League team in Austin, Texas, has thrown their hat into the ring for the 31-yearold, keen to use his profile for a publicity boost as they prepare to enter the second tier of American football next year.

The club is due to announce their name next Friday. According to Austin’s States

man newspaper, the franchise has been in discussions with Bolt’s agent Ricky Simms for several months. But Central Coast still appears to have the inside running, according to comments from the USL team’s general manager Roberto Silva.

“The Australian team is in a better position than we are,” Silva told the Statesman.

“Financially, our proposal is far away from the one (Bolt) has over there. I think we beat them on all other aspects of the proposal besides the financial one, and we have our sponsorship team at this moment trying to meet with some local sponsors that could bring us very, very close to having him.”

While the Mariners want to run Bolt through a six-week trial, Silva intends to offer him a long-term contract that goes beyond football, making him a spokesman for the team, the city and “sports overall”.