ISL Gets Hero Motocorp as Title Sponsor

The automobile company has inked a three-year deal with the Indian Super League for the title sponsors rights.

Hero Monocarp, the two-wheeler manufacturer, has signed a three-year deal to be the Title Sponsor of the Indian Super League (ISL) - the first-of-its-kind franchise-based football league in the country.

With this sponsorship, the much-awaited new football league, promoted by IMG-Reliance and Star India, will be called the 'Hero Indian Super League'. Hero Monocarp has for long had a steadfast commitment towards promoting various disciplines of sports including cricket, hockey and golf both in domestic and international domain.

The World Cup fever that swept the country - and the rest of the world - will take some time abating. Pawan Munjal, managing director and chief executive officer, Hero MotoCorp, says, "Like every other part of the world, India is also in the grip of this magic called football as millions of youngsters across the country are taking to the game with enthusiasm. The Indian Super League, therefore, is a timely initiative, and we are delighted to be partners in this journey for the common goal of promoting football in the country."

Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India, says, "I am deeply pleased because Hero and Pawan Munjal are true ambassadors of sports with a commitment that goes beyond sponsorship. It is great to see them take centre-forward position to support ISL and the future of Indian football. We feel honoured and privileged to present the "Hero Indian Super League" to the growing base of Indian football fans."

Backed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the Hero ISL that features eight new clubs, aims to promote the game across India, in newer markets and foster young local talent to take up the sport professionally.

Each team at the Hero Indian Super League will have a minimum of 22 players, including 1 marquee player, 7 internationals and 14 Indians. Additionally, a team can increase its squad by 5 more players of its choice, outside of the central player pool draft.

The eight clubs participating in the Hero Indian Super League are Atletico de Kolkata, Delhi Dynamos FC, NorthEast United FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Team Goa, Team Pune, Team Mumbai and Team Bangalore.

The New Delhi-headquartered Hero sold over six million two-wheelers last year. Over the past three years, Hero has expanded its global footprint, and now has operations in as many as 20 countries spread across Asia, Africa and Latin America. For the past 13 consecutive years, Hero MotoCorp claims to have remained the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer in terms of unit volumes sold by a single company in a calendar year.