NFL to be played for ONGC Cup

Navratna and petroleum major ONGC will sponsor the ninth National Football League beginning at Kolkata next Wednesday.

Announcing this on Tuesday, All India Football Federation President Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters that the League will be played for the ONGC Cup with the company contributing Rs. 7 crore to become this season's title sposnor.

The Federation also announced that it is finalising a tie-up with Prasar Bharati, which would telecast 60 selected matches either live or delayed.

"Around 100 remaining matches would come on ESPN-Star and regional channels. Some matches may also be simulcasted," the AIFF Supremo said.

ONGC's deal includes the second division NFL. The company will also be sponsors of all other tournaments organised by the AIFF including the Santosh Trophy and the Federation Cup, Dasmunsi said.

"To promote ONGC all the players of the 24 clubs in the two divisions will carry the logo and signage of the company," Dasmunsi said.

"A new feature of this edition will be the NFL Super Cup which will be fought between the winners and runners within three days of the completion of the League," he said.

The Super Cup champions will be richer by Rs 10 lakh while the NFL winner's purse remains the same at Rs 40 lakh.

Dasmunsi said the decision was taken according to the wishes of the sponsors instead of the prevailing practice of Federation Cup winners taking on NFL champions for the Super Cup.

This time the winners of each NFL match will be richer by Rs 30,000 an increase of Rs 10,000.

Dasmunsi said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would inaugurate the League on January 12 which will be followed by the inaugural match between Kolkata giants Kingfisher East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.

The AIFF President once again confirmed that gate collections from this match would go to the Junior Welfare Fund set up in aid of Brazilian striker Christiano Junior who met with a tragic onfield death during the Federation Cup final last month.

Dasmunsi had earlier said that besides this, the proceedings of the two matches between Dempo SC and Mohun Bagan would also go to the fund.

In the aftermath of Junior's death, he said all the local organising committees would tie up with a leading hospital to provide medical support, the cost of which would be subsidised by the Federation.

To keep the interest alive, the second divison matches will also begin during the period when NFL is on, he said.

From this season there would be no foreigners in the second division while the limit of three for NFL remains unchanged. He also said all the foreign players will be completely insured.

ONGC Chairman and Managing Director Subir Raha said "the sponsorship is to help India become Asian champions by 2010 if not earlier."

"When Virender Sehwag and Mohd Kaif are in action there is great media attention but when the rest of the 151 sportspersons, who are on our rolls, play there is not the same amount of coverage.

"So we all should join hands to promote football to the level of importance it deserves," he said.