Kolkata, Jan 17 : Nike has announced the push away of its annual grass root initiative for football in India – the Manchester United Premier Cup (MUPC) – India 2010, which will be conducted across India from January 19 to February 4.
This is the fifth year in a row that Nike is conducting this tournament in association with the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Over the years, Nike’s MUPC tournament has attracted participation from teams across different parts of the country such as Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Bangalore, Orissa, Pondicherry, Kerala, Gujarat, Delhi, Chandigarh, Goa, Kolkata and the North East. This year over 65 teams from across the country are vying to be the Indian Finalists.
The competition, which is open to footballers under the age of 15, , has gathered global momentum over the past few years having attracted a cumulative participation of over one million players with over 9,000 teams from more than 43 countries such as England, France, Brazil, Germany and many more.
The tournament has witnessed past winners of champion clubs such as Barcelona, Corinthians, Manchester City, Sao Paulo to name a few.
Sanjay Gangopadhyay, Marketing Director, Nike India Pvt Ltd., said, “At the core of Nike is its commitment and passion to sports. At the global level, we are committed to the sport of Football. Nike football is about the joy of playing – Our products, our players and our global brand leadership reflect that.
“Our commitment to translate our global knowledge and experience to Indian football laid the foundation for our association with The All India Football Federation and the Indian football team. As part of this association, Nike and AIFF, for the last five years, have been conducting the Manchester United Premier Cup”.
“We are very encouraged by the growing participation in this tournament each year, the number of participants has gone up from 8 to over 65 teams”, he added.
The tournament is conducted under the aegis of the All India Football Federation.
Welcoming the initiative, Praful Patel, President, AIFF, said, “This annual event has helped popularize the sport at a grassroots level and fuel a passion for the sport amongst the immense pool of young talent in the country by giving them an opportunity to participate in a global tournament. It is in line with the AIFF’s vision for Indian football and we will work together on similar initiatives in the future that aim to elevate the sport in the country”.
The participating teams include, Dempo, St Stephens Football Academy, Mahindra United FC, JCT, Pune FC, Viva Kerala, Salgaocar Sports Club, Sporting Club De Goa, Shillong Lajong FC, Sikkim Football Academy, Silchar Football Academy, Mumbai School Sports Association, Pondicherry Coaching Centre etc.
The North, North East and East Zone qualifiers in Tav Devi Lal Stadium, Gurgaon from Jan 19-24 and the South and West Zone qualifiers in Duler Stadium, Mapsa, Goa and Poriat Stadium, Calangute, Goa from Jan 28-30.
The India Finals would be played from Feb 2- 4, 2010 at Duler Stadium, Mapsa, Goa.
