Football Glory For India-Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars Shine At Arsenal
Bangalore, 7th September, 2011: Dreams became a reality in 2011, as Arsenal Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars (ATTJRSS) crossed a significant milestone by winning the trophy in the under 15 category at the 21st International Soccer festival. This year over 126 teams from 12 countries contested for the coveted trophy.
ATTJRSS initiative started way back in 2007 with the objective of awakening football talent in the country so that the sport gets its rightful place in India. The game of soccer was chosen for the initiative as it is the sports of the masses and it epitomizes youthful energy that brand Tata Tea stands for. This year at the season 4 of Arsenal Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars reached out to over 2 million individuals across India in 15 cities across 1011 schools to identify soccer talent across the country.
It was a roller-coaster ride for the Tata Tea team at the Arsenal tournament. Having lost two of their matches initially, the team found themselves on the brink of crashing out in the first round itself. The team had to beat Marks Park from South Africa to qualify into the Main Plate. After exceptional win against Marks Park with 3-0, there was no looking back for team. Improving day by day, match by match the team swept past New Windsor Heronstop (top ranked team in the group) with 2-1 and Flying Eagles (USA) with 2-1 in semi –finals to reach the finals. The team displayed an amazing combination of solid defense and remarkable counter attack techniques to get a hold on their opponents in a closely contested final match against Forest Royal (Essex) and defeated them 1-0 to lift the U-15 AISF Cup 2011.
The joy of the team knew no bounds, when Sushil Maitei scored the winning goal in the finals of AISF. With a perfect blend of dazzling ball handling, brilliant passing and tactical awareness, Sushil emerged the winner among 35 participants in ‘Tricks & Flicks’ contest, a free styling contest as well.
Commenting on the victory, Head Scout - Jamshed Nassiri, said, “Our victory at the AISF is indeed a proud moment for me. Our boys stood firm and displayed marvelous courage and mental strength to outperform everyone and emerge victorious after an intense battle against Forest Royal, Essex. This demonstrates the kind of talent present in India and the real need of the hour is an opportunity to showcase it. The tournament has given the boys a chance to match skills with the best budding talent across the globe and prove their mettle.’’
The winning team got to witness their soccer idols playing in front of them, as they travelled to Emirates Cup 2011 to watch Arsenal FC taking on Boca Juniors from Argentina at Emirates Stadium which is one of the best in the world. The young stars finally got the taste of playing the ‘Arsenal way’, as they witnessed the magic of soccer stars Van Persie, Nasri, Arshavin, Sagna, Vela, Ramsey, Wilshere on the field.
Speaking on the team’s achievement, Mr. Vikram Grover, Vice President -Marketing, Tata Global Beverages said, “I am delighted with our team’s achievement at the International Soccer Festival. They have indeed made the nation proud and enthused the football fraternity by winning the Arsenal International Soccer festival 2011 in England. Being ahead of the curve, we at Tata Tea are glad to have identified the hidden talent in our country and showcased them at the International level. Through this initiative, we will continue to promote and awaken young talent in India.I am glad that Tata Tea has played a small part in helping Indian football take its rightful place on the world stage. The Jaago Re campaign has been about social awakening, in the same vein our role here has been that of awakening and catalyzing the hidden talent that exists in this country.”
Abhiraj Vikram Singh, Vice-Captain of the team, said, “It’s a dream come true for us. We thank ‘Tata Tea’ for giving us a platform to showcase our talent in the international football arena. We will cherish this moment for the rest of our life and hope that initiatives like Jaago Re will keep on helping the youngsters like us to bring forth their talent to the whole world.”
The 16 member team was shortlisted from amongst the 7000 budding footballers across 15 cities who participated from 1000 schools, making it one of the largest sporting campaigns in the country. The team received coaching from legendary players such as Jamshid Nassiri and Andrew Douglas - Head of the Arsenal Soccer School in UK Arsenal.
About Tata Tea and Tata Global Beverages
Tata Tea is a leading brand in the India and is owned by Tata Global Beverages, a company which has presence in over 40 countries. Tata Global Beverages is a global beverage business and the world’s second largest tea company. The group’s annual turnover is US$1.5bn and it employs around 3,000 people in over 40 countries worldwide. The company focuses on ‘good for you’ beverages and has a stable of innovative regional and global beverage brands, including: Tata Tea, Tetley, Himalayan natural mineral water, Good Earth and Eight O’clock coffee. For more information please visit www.tataglobalbeverages.com
About Arsenal Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars
Arsenal Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars, the national tournament from Tata Tea in association with Arsenal FC, is a one of its kind soccer tournament for children aged between 10 - 15 years. The ‘Arsenal Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars “is Tata Tea’s attempt to connect with the youth of the country. The aim was to address young India and its enterprising youth willing to take charge of the country’s bright future through their actions. The idea was to suggest that tea is not only a just a wake up drink but it also can be an effective tool or catalyst for individual and social awakening.
The tournament offers the soccer stars, access to unparalleled training programs including the customized Arsenal development programme called The Arsenal Way. The tournament that commenced on December 14th 2010 happened in phases in 15 cities – Mumbai, Akola, Bhubaneswar, Indore, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Varanasi, Kolkata, Bangalore , Kozikode, Lucknow, Goa, Gangtok and Shillong with each city having its own elimination rounds, culminating in national finals. 30 shortlisted kids from the tournament have participated in a 2-week training camp in Kolkata from May 16th to May 30th 2011, out of which 16 finalists have been selected to represent the Arsenal International Soccer Festival in London in July 2011.
About Arsenal FC
Arsenal Football Club was founded in 1886 when a group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory decided to form a football team, turning professional in 1891. Following the move from Highbury in July 2006 to the new 60,000 capacity state-of-the-art Emirates Stadium annual turnover has increased to more than USD400m – substantially more than Manchester United and Chelsea and in world terms, a very close second to Real Madrid. With talismanic manager Arsenal Wenger having recently signed a contract extension through to 2011 the future for Arsenal FC has never looked brighter.