Virat Kohli to be face of Premier Futsal

Futsal is newer, shorter 5-a-side variant of soccer

Premier Futsal which was launched by Portuguese football legend Luis Figo last week has roped in team India test captain Virat Kohli as the league's brand ambassador today. The league will take place in July this year.

Kohli, by far the most popular cricketer today, will lend his name to Futsal, the newer, shorter 5-a-side variant of soccer. His announcement as brand ambassador follows the unveiling of soccer legend Luis Figo as Premier Futsal's president last week.

Xavier Britto, chairman, Premier Futsal said, "It is our great pleasure to have India's current favorite sportsman as the Brand Ambassador for our League. We feel proud to share a common dream of promoting new sports in India with Virat. With him coming on board, we are confident of attracting the youth of India to come see Futsal and take it up as a career eventually. These are really exciting times for us and I am sure this association with Virat will further elevate the standard of Futsal in India."

Kohli said, "We all grew up playing 5-a-side soccer. The combination of speed & flamboyance is what attracts so many people across the globe to watch & play the sport. Futsal is a fast and exciting sport. Futsallers display a lot of flair, skill and swag on the field, which are all qualities I relate to. I am tremendously excited to be a part of Premier Futsal and motivated to positively contribute to the development of this wonderful new sport in India."

The cricketer also owns stake in the Indian Super League team from Goa. He isn't the only cricket to have interests beyond the 22 yards with his ODI and T-20 captain MS Dhoni owning stakes in the Chennaiyin FC team in the ISL and the hockey team from Ranchi in the Hockey India League.

Premier Futsal, the world's first multi-national team-based Futsal league, is set to take place in India from July 15th to July 24th with each game split into two halves of 20 minutes each. Over 50 International Futsalers, from four Continents and 21 countries are expected to participate.

The league, governed by the Futsal Association of India (FAI) with accreditation from international governing body, Asociacion Mundial de Futsal (AMF), was launched in Mumbai earlier this week in the presence of the founding team and FAI representative.