Kalyani Group bags bid to launch team in I-league

KOLKATA: The Kalyani group, promoter of Bharat Forge, has won a bid to launch its own football team in the I-league. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has accepted the group's bid document to launch a team will be headquartered in Pune and compete in the professional league with eleven other teams. Earlier, JSW group had bagged the rights for Bangalore team from AIFF.

In a statement, the group said it was excited about the opportunity provided by the AIFF to participate in I-League. "The group's football club from Pune will be a 'People's club' that will give a much needed boost to the sport and will take it to the next level in India and also promote it at the grass root level," the statement said.

The Kalyani Group added that it will be announcing all other details about the team name, players, coach etc. shortly and build a pipeline of talent not only for the club but also for Indian football. The initiative will also give people of Pune access to world class sports infrastructure and facilities.

Football is a sport most loved and watched globally. Kalyani Group, a global engineering conglomerate is proud to support Pune's entry into the global league of football. The group has also supported various sports initiatives such as tennis through Lakshya, where five players are being sponsored. The group said it will continue to significantly contribute to the development of these young sports talent.

In May last year, Sajjan Jindal's JSW Group had made its maiden entry into Indian football. The $15 billion conglomerate group won the rights for Bangalore team from AIFF. Incidentally, the group's flagship unit JSW Steel is located in Karnataka with the JSW steel plant located close to Bangalore.