Bank of Baroda became the first Indian company to sign up as a national supporter for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, the first FIFA Event to be hosted in the Subcontinent.

Bank of Baroda becomes first National Supporter for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee and the President of the All India Football Federation Praful Patel said, “We are pleased to welcome Bank of Baroda as the first Indian company that will be associated with the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017. As an organisation that has a long affiliation with sports, Bank of Baroda shares our enthusiasm to develop and strengthen football in India. As President of the AIFF, I am committed to ensuring that football development in India gets the support it deserves, and I believe that this new partnership with Bank of Baroda is a very concrete step in the right way to continue the growth path that the sport has had in India”.

Tournament Director Javier Ceppi was not surprised by the keen interest in the National Supporter slots. “This is a landmark event in Indian sport. The first ever FIFA tournament to be hosted in India with India being one of the participating teams. This is a unique opportunity to be partners in making football history in this country. Joining in at this early stage, Bank of Baroda will have the added advantage of ten months of exposure with the FIFA U-17 World Cup.”

Increasing awareness and participation in sports has become a key focus for the leading state-owned bank which positions itself as India’s International Bank.

“We are highly motivated to promote football across the country and to inspire a new generation of youngsters. Partnering with the FIFA U-17 World Cup India, 2017 was a logical choice for us, as there is no bigger sporting event that the country will see next year. It is truly an Indian crusade to make sure that this tournament succeeds and engages our complete population. We are sure that our strong banking network across the nation will help to make that happen and we are excited about becoming the first National Supporter for the Event,” said Mr. Rakesh Kumar Bhatia, General Manager (Marketing, Corporate Communications & WMS), Bank of Baroda.

With the signature of the agreement, Bank of Baroda has thus become the first of the six National Supporters that the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 can have. The Tournament will be held from October 6th to 28th, 2017.

Further information about the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 can be found on FIFA.com

Tags: AIFF, Bank of Baroda, FIFA, India, U17 World Cup, World Cup