KOLKATA: The Indian Football Association (IFA), governing body of the Beautiful Game in West Bengal, on Thursday announced outdoor advertising firm Accord Sports VDK as their new commercial partner.
As per the terms of the four-year deal, IFA will get Rs 140 million from the company, which hold the commercial rights for all tournaments under the IFA, including the IFA Shield, Calcutta Football League Premier Division, Trades Cup (first division qualifying), Women’s League and Nursery League.
“Accord Sports VDK shall, from now on, own and manage branding, satellite, telecasting, digital, merchandising and naming rights of Calcutta Football League, IFA Shield, Trades Cup to name a few,” Goal quotes IFA general secretary Joydeep Mukherjee as having stated.
“We both will have to work in tandem. It’s a win-win situation for both of us,” Mukherjee told PTI.
AIFF senior vice-president Subrata Dutta said this was the first time any state football association had got a commercial partner.
“It’s a historic day in the 128 years of IFA. For the first time a state association got a commercial partner. It’s like the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) being the commercial partner of AIFF,” Dutta said.
Sudip Ganguly of Accord Sports VDK said they have an expertise of 30 years in advertising and hope to bring in corporates for the IFA tournaments.
“We hope to bring in more and more corporates and will try to include all the tournaments. We hope it’s a long-term contract and benefits Bengal football,” PTI quotes Ganguly as having said.
