After a long lull, football in Kerala will get a big boost with the arrival of the DDL Sports Bhagath Cup all-India tournament which kicks off at the Maharaja’s Stadium on January 31
The tournament, an all-India affair for the first time this year, will also mark the entry of DDL Sports, which tasted big success in the Indian National rally circuit in its debut season last year, into football.
“We will make this tournament an international event next year, with at least two foreign teams, one from Europe and another from the Gulf,” said Clint Martel Wilfred, the Managing Partner of DDL Sports, the tournament sponsor, and the Chairman of the UAE-based Cee Cee Holding.
“This is just a small beginning, you may even see a DDL Sports football team in future,” he said.
Apart from outstation sides like Vasco, Sesa (both Goa), Indian Bank (Chennai) and NISA (Manipur), the event will also see Kerala sides SBT, KSEB, Josco FC, Central Excise, Malabar United and Goldren Threads FC in action.
Matches begin at 6 p.m. on all days and the final will played on February 10. Entry is free for the public.
Source: The Hindu
From the archive. First published on footballkerala.com on Wednesday 27 January 2010, restored from the site's 2012 database. Text as originally published.