Airtel to partner the development of football talent reinforcing AIFF and Bharti’s commitment to develop a powerful football culture in the country

Bharti Enterprises, one of India’s business conglomerates with interests in telecom under the brand name Airtel, retail, financial services, manufacturing & agri-sector, today announced that it has signed an agreement with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the official governing body in India for football, to support the development of India’s Under-16 football team.

This is the first time ever that an India youth football team is getting corporate funding support. The association highlights the continued commitment of AIFF and Bharti to promote a powerful football and sporting culture in the country. The agreement to support the Under-16 team is for a period of one year and will help the team prepare for the Asian Football Championship to be held in Uzbekistan in October 2008.

Commenting on the agreement Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, President, AIFF said “The current Under-16 team is a promising lot and has performed exceptionally well at the international level. With the right support and exposure they can compete at the highest level and make the country proud. We are very happy with the support from Bharti and this will provide a lot of encouragement to the team.”

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Group CEO, Bharti Enterprises said “India’s strength today is its vast pool of youth population. Developing a strong youth program is one of the top priorities of our partnership with AIFF to create a powerful football culture in India. We hope that this team’s achievements at the international level will be a major catalyst in further promoting football amongst the youth of India.”

Bharti already has an MoU with AIFF to build a comprehensive National Football Development Program (NFDP) and work together for the development of Indian football.