NEW DELHI: SIX5SIX Tuesday announced its partnership with Hero Indian Super League club NorthEast United FC. The Indian sportswear brand comes on board as the club’s official kitting and merchandising partner on a multi-year deal.
SIX5SIX will be designing the team’s home and away kits, practice kits as well as entire fan merchandise, taking the community aspect into consideration.
“We are delighted to partner with the NorthEast United FC, a club which comes from a region which has contributed immensely to Indian football. We want to craft something unique keeping the ethos of the Highlanders in mind. We are looking forward to this exciting and fruitful partnership,” said Ambar Aneja, Co-Founder and CEO of SIX5SIX.
The new kits are expected to launch prior to the commencement of the upcoming season of ISL and will be available on the brand’s website, www.six5sixsport.com/neufc as well as certain key retailers in the region.
The partnership with the ISL club owned by Hindi film actor John Abraham is SIX5SIX’s second club partnership in the ISL, after announcing Kerala Blasters FC last month. They are also the official kit partner of the All-India Football Federation (AIFF).
Commenting on the association, Abraham’s wife Priya Runchal, CEO of NEUFC, said: “We are excited to start a new chapter with SIX5SIX. They are the official kitting partner of the Indian National Team as well, so they understand the feelings and emotions of football fans, and this gives us confidence about what kind of products they can provide to our fans and players.”
During a recent interview Abraham was asked about Runchal and why she keeps a low profile. He replied, “This is the way I like it. She is a private person. She finished her course from a business school in London and was earlier in Los Angeles. She chooses to quietly do her work and I appreciate it. She also handles my football team, North East United FC, which is based in Guwahati. Managing the team is like handling two big productions. We spot talent, nurture them and then a billionaire comes and buys them for his franchise. So, then I lose them and have to find new talent again. We do the hard work of identifying them only to see them go, but I enjoy the process.”
