BENGALURU: Indian Super League side Bengaluru FC, also known as The Blues, is hosting the second edition of the BFC Inter-School Soccer Shield with energy drink brand Boost as its presenting sponsor in the city’s Bangalore Football Stadium.
Bigger in scale as compared to the last edition, the Soccer Shield will see 1000+ children from over 80 teams from schools across the city battle it out in four age categories (U-8, U-10, U-12 and U-14). In a first, the competition has also been extended to girls in the U-8, U-10 and U-12 categories.
Keeping in line with the competition’s aim of developing football at a grassroots level and being a feeder to the Blues’ academy sides, standout performers from the tournament will get the opportunity to be part of a fully-funded high-performance camp at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Bellary. The IIS also houses the Bengaluru FC Residential Academy.
The winners also have an excellent chance of securing a scholarship in Bengaluru FC Soccer Schools and a spot on the Bengaluru FC B-Team while consistently improving their fitness and the way they play the game along the way.
Bengaluru FC COO Mustafa Ghouse said: “We are really excited for the second edition of the Boost BFC Inter-School Soccer Shield. The tournament has grown on all fronts from last season, and the overwhelming response it has received from schools across the city this year reaffirms how much it has grown since last year. In addition, this year will see selected children get an opportunity to train at the BFC Academy at the Inspire Institute of Sport and we’re happy to be able to provide them with an experience like none other in the country. It’s also a big step up for us that we’re able to include a girl’s category in this edition and we hope that this leads to something special.”
GSK Consumer Healthcare, the company owning the Boost brand, was represented by its area marketing head Vikram Bahl, who added: “Young children today closely connect with sports stars and look up to them for inspiration. Boost’s partnership with BFC for the Inter School Shield, gives kids the opportunity to play, and learn, with the Pros. Ever since its inauguration, the tournament has grown in leaps and bounds, and the response it has received from schools this year is a testament to its success. The inclusion of a girl’s category is another positive step forward, furthering the incredible growth momentum of football in the country.”
Boost’s brand activations around the event will also include its flagship property ‘Play the Pros’ where selected kids get to play and learn from their favourite sports heroes like Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh and Udanta Singh to name a few. With this property, Boost intends to take its purpose of “Unleashing the winner in kids” beyond an inspiring message.
The association will also see Boost actively involved in the club’s active ISL campaign, in terms of player marketing rights, on-ground assets, tickets, merchandise and the opportunity for children from the tournament to be a part of the match day mascots program and be mascots along with the players in a BFC home game during the ISL.
