Sports brand has social purpose

LONDON – Luta is Portuguese for fight and the brand that English-born Luke Dowdney created two years ago to become a major player with a social purpose in the sportswear industry. Toby Green in the Evening Standard recently reported that Dowdney, a former amateur boxer now living in Rio de Janeiro, set up a charity called Fight for Peace in 2000 “to work with the young inhabitants of the city’s favelas through martial arts and boxing.”

In 2004, Dowdney was recognized for his work and awarded an MBE. Prince Charles and Prime Minister David Cameron are among Dowdney’s endorsers. To finance the spread of the gospel of Fight for Peace, Dowdney established a sportswear brand that he called Luta. Green said “the range not only covers leisure wear such as T-shirts but also high-performance sports gear.”

Dowdney said 50 percent of Luta’s profits will go to Fight for Peace. He raised the equivalent of about P150 Million from investors to kickstart Luta. His goal is for Fight for Peace to be self-sufficient within three years, fully supported by Luta. That means Luta must make a name for itself as a worthy competitor of Nike, Puma and Adidas. Luta’s commitment to charity is the icing on the cake.

While Luta is basically a brand for martial arts and boxing, Green said Dowdney intends to expand its coverage to other sports. “It’s not a charity,” said Dowdney quoted by Green. “It’s a performance-clothing brand that represents this notion of never quitting because it comes from a real place.” Whether Dowdney’s formula of marketing a sportswear brand for its high-performance value with a social conscience will click remains to be seen.

“Our dream is to be in a position where you have a choice between Nike and Puma and all the big major sports brands or you can buy Luta,” said Dowdney. “It’s the same quality if not better, it’s the same price and it’s building clubs like this all over the country and all over the world to help young people. You can never expect an idea and a concept to be stronger than what you need in terms of a piece of quality clothing.”

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Dowdney employs only a staff of five to run Luta which he hopes to steer to a position of prominence in the market within five years so as to expand Fight for Peace. He said his pitch to prospective investors is to share the profits 50-50 with the underprivileged youth.

Dowdney’s brand ambassador is last year’s Olympic boxing superheavyweight gold medalist Anthony Joshua who was born in Hertfordshire to Nigerian parents. Joshua, 23, makes his pro debut against Italy’s Emanuele Leo in a six-round at the O2 Arena here tomorrow. Leo, 32, has a 8-0 record, with three KOs. Joshua is signed to fight two more six-rounders on Oct. 26 and Nov. 23.

Joshua beat four opponents for the Olympic gold medal. First to fall was Cuba’s Erislandy Savon, nephew of three-time Olympic champion Felix Savon, via a 17-16 decision. Then, Joshua victimized China’s Zhilei Zhang, 15-11. In the semifinals, Joshua outpointed Kazakhstan’s Ivan Dychko, 13-11. In the finals, Joshua and Italy’s Roverto Cammarelle battled to an 18-all draw but the Britisher was declared the winner on a countback of the judges’ cumulative points.

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Joshua said he seriously considered staying amateur to go for another gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. “There was a stage I seriously contemplated staying on because I honestly believe that I would win the gold again,” said Joshua, quoted by Kevin Mitchell in The Observer. “It was the big temptation. But this is a new beginning for me. You’ve got to empty the cup, go in as a contender again.”

Joshua, who as a boy, thought he would grow up to be a bricklayer, consulted former world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist Lennox Lewis before deciding to turn pro. “Lennox told me that once he had won gold, he knew it was time to turn professional,” said Joshua, quoted by Mihir Bose of the Evening Standard. “Winning gold in 2012 satisfied my lust for medals. And Lennox thought it was best for me to turn professional. There is less pressure in professional boxing than for an Olympic gold because in the Olympics, the whole nation is willing you on. It did make you want to perform but that put pressure on me. This is entertainment. In professional boxing, it’s a bit more glitz and glamor. This is just chilled showtime. I’ve just got to think I’m there to entertain. It’s no pressure. I want to embrace it. You need to believe in yourself, have a cockiness. Before I used to put pressure on myself, saying, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to fight, I’ve got to win.’ But with all the training I’m doing, I don’t have to worry about winning. I don’t think fighting is a pressure. What really makes a difference is what I do behind closed doors. That will determine what is shown to the world. That’s why I need to get it right.”

Like Manny Pacquiao, Joshua likes to play chess, his new obsession, and wants to challenge Lewis to a game. Dowdney hopes Joshua makes an auspicious debut with a decisive win over the unbeaten Leo who’s out to avenge the Olympic loss of his countryman Cammarelle. It’ll be a major promotional boost for Luta if Joshua wins impressively tomorrow when the Olympic champion fights not only for peace but also for his place in the heavyweight sun.