The return of the players to the football field and the increasing desire of the people for outdoor sports make the sporting goods manufacturer Adidas look to the year as a whole more confidently.

In the football and outdoor sectors, sales rose by a three-digit percentage, said Adidas boss Kasper Rorsted on Thursday.

In addition, more products could be sold at full price.

"This dynamic gives us the confidence to raise our forecast for the full year, even if our industry continues to be confronted with external challenges."

For the year as a whole, the world's second largest sporting goods manufacturer after Nike is now anticipating an increase in sales of up to a fifth; most recently there was talk of an increase in the high ten percent range.

The profit from the continued operations should be between 1.4 and 1.5 billion euros (previously 1.25 to 1.45 billion euros).

The separation from Reebok is likely to dampen profits by 200 million euros.

Among other things, Adidas is relying on new products that will be launched in the second half of the year.

The company also referred to major sporting events such as the Olympic Games in Japan, the kick-off of the soccer season in Europe and the start of the NFL season in the USA.

In the quarter just ended, revenues increased by a total of 51.5 percent to just under 5.1 billion euros.

The profit from continuing operations was 387 million euros after a loss of 243 million a year earlier.

It went up in almost all regions, especially in Europe and North America.

In China, an important growth market for many years, sales fell by 15.9 percent after adjusting for currency effects.

Like other western brand manufacturers, Adidas was drawn into the sanctions dispute between China and the EU and the USA.

The background to this is that foreign companies had taken up allegations of human rights violations in the western Chinese province of Xinjiang.

There were calls for boycotts.