Indian corporates pumped in more money into the sports arena last month than in any other month. As the million dollar bids for the IPL teams by the billionaires and Bollywood celebrities hogged the limelights, one notable investment was left in the dark. It was Bharti Enterprises step to start a world-class football academy in India with an investment of more than Rs.100 crores.
We’ve seen Bharti’s love for football in their Airtel ads. In the “Express Yourself” campaign, they’ve made Sachin Tendulkar to play football instead of cricket. Now in their new campaign, “Barriers break when people talk”, they have shown kids of warring nations enjoy playing football together.
From ads to action, Bharti Enterprises signed a MoU with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to create a comprehensive National Football Development Programme with the objective of preparing India for the World Cup.
For IPL team owners it’s all about business. Having invested millions of dollars, they are seriously thinking about break-even time frame now. But for Sunil Mittal it’s all about passion for the game. And their academy’s priority is to hone the talents of our youngsters by providing significant support for the development of the Indian Under-16 football team and help them qualify for the Under-17 football world cup finals.
Thank you Sunil Mittal for taking the lead and committing that huge investment to create football revolution in India. Wish to see your academy produce Maradonas from Mumbai, Beckhams from Bangalore and Ronaldos from Ranchi.
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