Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 7 : Performax, a sportswear brand from Reliance Retail’s wide-ranging fashion and lifestyle portfolio, has partnered with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to become the official kit and merchandise sponsor of the Indian football team.
The multi-year partnership will not only give Performax exclusive rights to manufacture kits across all formats of the game but will also make it the sole supplier for all match, travel and training wear for the AIFF, including men’s, women's and youth teams. In addition, as the merchandise sponsor, Performax will also hold the rights to manufacture and retail these products.
The Blue Tigers will debut the striking new kit during the 49th King’s Cup 2023 being held in Thailand between September 7 and 10. Team India is set to kick off the tournament by taking on Iraq on Thursday.
Speaking on the partnership, Akhilesh Prasad, President & CEO, Reliance Retail, Fashion & Lifestyle, said, "We are very happy to announce our association with AIFF. Football has great potential in India and we will see the Indian football team gain prominence in years to come. This partnership is in line with our aspiration to make sports accessible in India through Performax."
As a sport for the masses, the beautiful game cuts across boundaries and demographics to attract hundreds of millions of passionate fans from all corners of the country. With several international-quality tournaments and facilities currently active in India, including the Indian Super League (ISL) and Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) academy, football is set to attract more youngsters and set new benchmarks.
Dr Shaji Prabhakaran, Secretary General, AIFF, said, "We welcome our new kit partner, Performax, to the Indian Football family. I am sure the players and the teams will like the new kit and will be inspired to put their best on the pitch. I wish this new partnership between the AIFF and Performax all success."
Nitesh Kumar, CEO, Performax & Trends Footwear, said, "This association is among a few in a series of initiatives we plan to undertake towards establishing Performax as the preferred activewear brand for our customers."
India has participated in three competitions this year and won all of them - the Tri-Nation International Friendly Football Tournament, the Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Championship. In 11 games across these three tournaments, India were unbeaten and came out victorious on seven occasions. This run of form also saw India break into the top 100 of the FIFA Rankings for the first time in five years.
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