In an exclusive report published in The Telegraph, ONGC Director said that the Oil giants may back off from sponsoring I - League this season. Report below:
New Delhi: There is bad news for Indian football as the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) might decide to discontinue its title sponsorship for the ongoing I-League, the showcase event of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
Speaking to The Telegraph Monday, the company’s director (human resources), Dr A.K. Balyan said: “In all probability, we are not going to sponsor the I-League this season.”
Asked what the reasons behind the decision were, the official said: “We have been continuously sponsoring the I-League for the past five years. Now we think the AIFF has enough resources to run the show on their own.”
However, Dr Balyan said that a final decision on this matter was yet to be taken.
“The call is on the AIFF general secretary….Once he approaches us then we may take a final decision on this subject,” he said.
The development could prove to be a big blow to the AIFF, which is heavily dependent on the oil major for running the high profile I-League that cost the federation between Rs 7 to 10 crore every season.
This time the cost is set to shoot up further because of the increase in the number of teams and venues. For the first time, the AIFF has accommodated 14 teams from seven venues in the league and it has led to a rise in the cost of transportation and other additional allowances.
Ironically, although no formal agreement has been signed for the sponsorship of the I-League this season the AIFF has been widely publicising the oil major as the title sponsor of the league.
A senior AIFF official, who did not wish to be named, however, said the acting president, Praful Patel would soon take up the matter to get the sponsorship deal cleared.
“There is nothing unusual in attaching the company’s name with the I-League from the beginning. Almost every season the official approval comes at a later stage,” the official said.
Source: The Telegraph
From the archive. First published on footballkerala.com on Wednesday 7 October 2009, restored from the site's 2012 database. Text as originally published.