Coca-Cola backs junior soccer in India

02 September 2009 | Posted in Sponsorship, Soccer | By Adam Fraser

Coca-Cola will support soccer's development in India by sponsoring the Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy.

The competition features a number of Under-16 teams from 400 districts across India, and will feature some 6,000 players competing to reach and win the national finals. 40 players from the competition will go on to extra training for the country's U16 international team.

Financial details were not disclosed, but Coca-Cola has revealed that the sponsorship of the trophy is just one of a number of partnerships to be announced with the All India Football Federation, the governing body for the sport in India, as part of the development of soccer in the country.

"India is a country with one of the youngest populations in the world," said the AIFF's Shri Praful Patel. "A vibrant sporting culture and enthusiasm for sports is therefore an obvious corollary to it. At AIFF, it is our endeavour to harness this strength by channelising the interest of the country's youth towards football.

"We are working towards providing the right infrastructure and training facilities to the youth and our partnership with Coca-Cola India is a boost to our plans. I compliment Coca-Cola India for focusing its resources for the glory of Indian football."