All India Football Federation and its commercial partner IMG-Reliance have been getting flak from several quarters for not finding a sponsor for the I-League and they got one at the last minute in telecom major Airtel.
AIFF President Praful Patel welcomed the Telecom giants as the new Sponsor.
"I welcome Airtel as the new Title Sponsor of the I-League. All India Football Federation stays committed for the upliftment of the sport in the Country and we hope this marks the beginning of a new and long relationship," he said.
IMG-Reliance COO Ashu Jindal said, "I'm happy to have Airtel as the Title Sponsor. This is a hugely motivating step for Indian Football."
I-League CEO Sunando Dhar said, "This is very inspiring. Having Airtel as the Title Sponsor would provide the right impetus for the I-League."
I-League begins tomorrow with defending champions Churchill Brother opening their campaign against Salgaocar at Mapusa, Goa while Mohammedan Sporting Club take on Pune FC in Kolkata and Mumbai FC play Sporting Clube de Goa in Pune.
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