From correspondents in Karnataka, India, 08:07 PM IST

With the objective to promote football among school children and help talented young football players to access the best in terms of infrastructure & training, Tata Tea today announced the launch of Tata Tea Arsenal Soccer Stars, a unique schools’ soccer tournament, in association with Arsenal FC, United Kingdom’s premier football league.

Tata Tea Arsenal Soccer Stars programme is part of Tata Tea’s enhanced focus on the issues that concern the youth of this country. In its constant endeavour to demonstrate thought leadership, Tata Tea recently launched the ‘Jaago Re’ campaign. This campaign aims to resonate with ‘young India’ beyond the role of tea as merely a medium of physical rejuvenation or a wake up drink, to a medium of individual and social awakening in society.

With Soccer Stars, the company is looking at identifying and nurturing latent talent at the grass roots level; amongst school children, to encourage interest in less prominent games such as football. As a category leader, Tata Tea believes its youth oriented focus will emotively connect with issues that drive the heart, mind and soul of India’s emerging social consciousness.

Speaking at the press conference Mr. Percy Siganporia, Managing Director, Tata Tea, said, “Tata Tea and Arsenal are passionate about the healthy awakening of mind, body and soul of our country’s youth ,through football. Leadership, the pursuit of excellence, unity of team spirit and character building value attributes of football and tea, come together in a heady mix. Let the tournament begin and uplift young minds and bodies, infusing the passion of football amongst all who cheer them on with Tata Tea. We would like to thank Arsenal for driving the growth of football in India. I am sure this initiative will brighten the future of Indian football.”

Mrs. Sangeeta Talwar, Executive Director, Marketing, Tata Tea said, "Leveraging our volume leadership in the tea market in India, we are clearly demonstrating thought leadership as well. In October we launched the Jaago Re campaign platformed on social awakening and intellectual revitalization. In a similar vein, we now seek to challenge and awaken the sports scenario in India. We have selected soccer; a high energy team sport, which has a lot of interest among teenagers and what better way to bring this awakening but to associate ourselves with a world Premier Soccer Club - Arsenal"

Mr. Adrian Ford, Commercial Director, Arsenal FC said, “At Arsenal our aim is always to identify and encourage young talent for the betterment of the game. We are glad that Tata Tea has taken the initiative. Soccer Stars is a fantastic platform for budding young footballers and we hope this will contribute in propagating this wonderful sport further in India.”

Tata Tea Soccer Stars is a one of its kind football tournaments for children aged 10 - 15 years. The tournament offers participants access to unparalleled training programmes including the customized Arsenal development programme called The Arsenal Way. Starting from 12th January, the tournament will begin in phases across four zones – South, West, North and East with each zone having its own elimination rounds, culminating in a national tournament, to decide the national winners.

30 talented boys, identified by a panel of professional footballers during the tournament will be given 2 weeks of coaching by Arsenal coaches in Calcutta. This will be followed up with a final selection of 15 boys getting a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend an Arsenal training camp in the UK as well as entry to the much awaited Arsenal International Soccer Festival in London during August 2008. The selected boys will also get Arsenal memorabilia personally autographed by the team’s star players.

The Tata Tea Arsenal SoccerStars will kick off with the south zone matches in Bangalore and Calicut during 12th & 13th January 2008 and 19th & 20th January 2008 respectively.

The schedule of Tata Tea Soccer Star

Region

Dates

Bangalore

11th – 13th January 2008

Calicut

19th & 20th January 2008

Goa

9th & 10th February 2008

Chandigarh

5th & 6th April 2008

Delhi

11th – 13th April 2008

Mumbai

18th – 20th April 2008

Bhubaneswar

26th & 27th April 2008

Shillong

26th & 27th April 2008

Kolkata

2nd – 4th May 2008

· GRAND FINAL in Kolkata - Dates - 9th & 10th May 2008.

· 16 teams from the 9 cities will be chosen for the same.

· The 1st Training camp in India will be for 2 weeks during summer holidays i.e. May 26th 2008 onwards.

· The 2nd Training camp will be with Arsenal in UK for 15 days from 1st week August 2008.

Source: Press Release Distribution via India PRwire