MUMBAI: Premier Futsal, the world’s biggest Futsal tournament is all set to further strengthen its position as a sporting league with Season 2. Former Ballon D’or winner and Brazilian football player, Ronaldinho has extended his association with the league by 3 years.
Premier Futsal has also collaborated with Dubai Sports Council which takes the tournament beyond the Indian territory with Semi Finals and Finals scheduled to take place in Dubai. With Goa paving way for Delhi and Bangalore as hosts, the geographical representation of the league has now grown to 4 cities, and more than 24 matches spread across two weeks further strengthen its status as the biggest futsal tournament in the world.
The tournament begins on 15 September will travel to Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore before culminating in Dubai with the ultimate battle of Futsal supremacy taking place on 1 October. The six teams will play each other 7 times prior to the semi-finals which will also take place in the port city. All the matches will be broadcasted live on Sony Network.
Premier Futsal Chairman Xavier Britto said, “We are extremely proud to have been a part of this remarkable journey that Premier Futsal has traversed in such a short span of time. Guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for innovation and entrepreneurship, and motivated by his vision to make India a successful sporting nation, we are committed to foster and expand the sport even further allowing for sports enthusiasts from different geographies to come forward and engage with Futsal”
The marquee futsal tournament revealed RR Kable Group Proprietors Rajesh Kabra and Hemant Kabra, as the Mumbai team owners of the league. Commenting on the announcement, Rajesh Kabra said, “Premier Futsal has seen significant traction in its first edition and has clearly gained stickiness amongst its TG. It gives us immense pleasure to be able to facilitate the growth of the unique sport in the city of Mumbai through this association and enable it to be an integral part of one of India’s fastest growing sports properties.”
Premier Futsal MD Dinesh Raj said, “The fixtures for this year’s tournament have been scheduled keeping in mind the imparting of a wholesome Futsal experience to sports enthusiasts not only in India but across the world. We envision Premier Futsal to be one of the leading global sports properties in the coming years and the current expansion and diversification of Premier Futsal is in line with this vision of ours.”
Present to mark the landmark moment, the Brazilian Football legend, Ronaldinho said, “I enjoyed and loved playing in India last year and entertaining the audience. I love the food and warmth of the Indian people. Futsal has been an important part of my life ever since I started indulging in the sport as a young kid. Premier Futsal has quickly become the biggest futsal event in the world and I am here to support this league in the long term, and make it a huge success globally. Now with Season 2 of the tournament, we want to break the glass ceiling and set the benchmark for sporting leagues across the world. We want to inspire more and more youngsters to take up the sport and all of our efforts especially the Launch Pad are directed towards bringing in youth closer to the game.”
Mediapro, a global leader in broadcast media, marketing and sport has also made its foray in the Indian market with Premier Futsal. The strategic alliance will facilitate and create an intellectual property for Premier Futsal globally. The Spanish company will engage in delivering marketing solutions and services along with the production and distribution for all matches in season 2. Dr. Kiran Kumar, promoter of Lalitha Jewellery was also announced as a key investor in the independent sporting venture.
Premier Futsal, the world’s largest futsal promotions company is bringing football legends, futsal superstars and home-grown talent on a unique platform in a never-seen-before made-for-TV product. The tournament was broadcasted in United Kingdom, Middle East, Europe, South America and South East Asia regions other than India. Season 2 only promises to be bigger and more engaging with more match days, greater number of host cities and a varied range of global superstars all set to participate in the sporting spectacle. The tickets for the marquee sporting event will go live soon and will available on Paytm.
