New I-League entrant promises to be 'people's club'

In a statement, the Pune based multinational company stated that, “The Kalyani group is excited about the opportunity provided by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to participate in I-League."

“The group’s football club from Pune will be a ‘People’s club’ that will give a much needed boost to the sport and will take it to the next level in India and also promote it at the Grassroot level," it said.

“Football is a sport most loved and watched globally. Kalyani Group, a global engineering conglomerate is proud to support Pune’s entry into the global league of football and bring India onto the world map of sports," the company said.

It further read: “The group believes that team sport is important in building values, team spirit and skills amongst young people.

“Through I-League, Kalyani Group aims to create further interest in football by bringing people who love football together across age groups. Sports like football is much needed for the people of Pune and will connect youth at the grass root level through various youth development programs. This initiative will also give people of Pune access to world class sports infrastructure and facilities," it said.

“The group will build a pipeline of talent not only for the club but also for Indian football. They are committed to building a team that will compete for top honors and set the benchmark of being a professional Football Club," it said.

Welcoming the club, AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said: “It’s great to have a reputed corporate like the Kalyani Group on board."

“We have seen Bengaluru FC scale great heights last season, and I am sure Kalyani Group would also be very enterprising in their endeavour. On behalf of AIFF, I wish them all the luck," Das said.

I-League CEO Sunando Dhar added: “Following BFC’s success last year, we wanted more such enthusiasts to come into Indian Football to promote I-league."

“It’s great to have Kalyani to be part of I-League. On behalf of AIFF and I-League I would like to take this opportunity to welcome them on board and wish them all the best for their road ahead," Dhar said.