MUMBAI: The Commercial Vehicles Business Unit (CVBU) of Tata Motors Wednesday announced an all-encompassing three-year strategic partnership with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) as ‘principal sponsor’ to “encourage and promote the sport of wrestling and leverage the strong connect with the brands of its CV range”.
Beginning with the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, this partnership will continue till 2021 that will include the World Championship and World Cup, 2020 Olympic Games, besides other national and international wrestling events.
The Tata Yodha commercial vehicle brand will be present at all WFI events – national championships, Indian Open, Junior Nationals, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Cup, Grand Prix, Asian Games, and Asian Championships, for the next 3 years. Additionally, Tata Motors will have licensing rights to support the players for Asian Games, Commonwealth and Olympics and felicitate the team upon its return.
The partnership, the financial terms of which were not disclosed, was described by Tata officials as “one of the biggest non-cricket association in the country, where the world’s 6th largest CV player is going beyond mere sponsorship”.
However, The Hindu reported that the WFI asked for a Rs 240 million over three years, but the more than 70-year-old company agreed for Rs 180 million, with a tranche of Rs 50 million for the first year, Rs 60 million for the second and Rs 70 million for the third.
The company will act as a catalyst to promote the sport, encourage and develop young and rising sporting talent enabling them to achieve their aspirations. As a part of the historic mega partnership, Tata Motors will support top performing 50 wrestlers (both men and women), across categories, on both the domestic and international circuit.
Celebrating this initiative, the new official Tata Yodha jersey for the Indian wrestling team was unveiled by the stars of Indian wrestling including Olympic medallists Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt and Sakshi Malik, along with Geeta Phogat – India’s first women wrestler to qualify for Olympic in 2012 – and Bajrang Punia, Sandeep Tomar, Pooja Dhanda and Satyawart Kadian in the presence of senior management from Tata Motors CVBU and WFI officials.
Speaking on the occasion Girish Wagh, president – Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors said: “Today, sports with the energy and dynamism is seen as a major platform for brands to connect with people across India – both masses as well as classes. Commercial vehicles are the backbone of our economy and for Tata Motors, as India’s leading commercial vehicles manufacturer, we see sport as a significant bridge to reach out to various stakeholders – drivers, fleet owners, dealers and distributors, media and the public at large. In line with our brand philosophy of ‘Connecting Aspirations’, we believe in supporting sports and sportspeople who can take our country ahead with their potential, zeal and passion.”
“Wrestling and Kabaddi are homegrown sports that reflect machismo, aggression and endurance that tests speed, agility and power, and are gaining popularity in India and overseas. These attributes blend perfectly with the rich heritage, longevity, durability and robust performance of our Commercial Vehicles that are accepted by our customers in India and global markets. We are truly delighted to associate with Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and wish our Indian team the very best in the forthcoming Asian Games at Jakarta.”
Commenting on the partnership, Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, president – WFI said: “We are delighted to have a ‘bharosemand partner’ like Tata Motors as our principal sponsor for all our national and international events until year 2021.
“It is a first of its kind association for Indian sports where a reputed brand like Tata Motors is associating with the entire sport for 3 long years. Wrestling is a game of strength and endurance and these values are perfectly resonated by Tata Yodha vehicle.
“This is an ideal association as both represent dynamism, being reliable, robust, and rugged with the potential, zeal and exemplary performance to overcome all obstacles and succeed at the highest level consistently. Together, we hope to scale new heights and create more visibility for wrestling as a sport and help young individuals achieve their sporting ambitions.”
The company’s partnership with WFI extends a longstanding association with various Indian sports such as cricket (IPL), Kabaddi (UP Yodha) and football (Jamshedpur FC), being just some prominent ones.
