Kerala Blasters FC

KBFC announces Amaron as their Official Partner for Hero ISL 2022-23

Kerala Blasters FC is thrilled to announce AMARON, India’s top-selling automotive battery brand, as their official partner for the forthcoming season of Hero Indian Super League (ISL).

Harshavardhana Gourineni, Executive Director, Amara Raja Batteries Ltd. said “Amaron is glad to associate with Kerala Blasters Football Club as an Official Partner this ISL season (2022-23). With the growing popularity of football in India and with the energy and excitement it brings to the game, Amaron takes this opportunity to support the sports ecosystem in reviving the glory of Indian football. Amaron looks forward to an exciting season and is geared up to cheer with the incredible KBFC fans.”

Nikhil Bhardwaj, Director, Kerala Blasters FC, said, “We are delighted to join hands with Amaron for the upcoming Hero ISL 2022/23 season. There are a lot of synergies our brands share in our ambitions and objectives. We thank everyone at Amaron for trusting us and we look forward to a fruitful association.”

About AMARON

AMARON, the flagship brand of Amara Raja Batteries Ltd. is among the most preferred and largest selling batteries brand in the automotive segment in India. An aspirational, youthful, powerful, technologically advanced, and a highly innovative brand, it caters to all segments of Passenger Vehicles, Three Wheelers, Two Wheelers, Commercial Vehicles, Farm Vehicles, and Home UPS/Inverters. These batteries reach the deep corners of India through an extensive sales and distribution network comprising 23 branches, 32 warehouses, 500 + Amaron Franchisees, 40,000+ Amaron Dealers and 2000+ Extensive Service hubs.”

THE REWIND: KBFC VS EBFC

With packed stadium of ‘YELLOW SEA’ and two teams fighting hard till the last minute for 3 points, the opening match for ISL 9 was electrifying in all means. A score line of 3-1 KERALA BLASTERS emerging victorious does not tell the complete story. With a tough fight till the end and scoring a goal against the flow of the game, EAST BENGAL FC have also sent out a clear message for opponents in the opening game itself.

The first ISL match open for the fans after the pandamic had all the beauty of possession football when both teams opted to play with a 4-4-2 formation.With Marko Leskovic narrowly missing the target at the 5th minute to a curler by Adrian Luna from the left corner, Blasters were first to get closer to goal.East Bengal made their presence felt in the game within no time. Intercepting a pass from the Blasters midfield, East Bengal was quick to get the ball through blasters defence line on the 7th minute. A powerful screamer by Alex Lima from just outside the penalty box was saved by Prabhsukhan Singh Gill through a full-length dive. Seconds left for the 10th minute our target man Apostolos Giannou managed to break the East Bengal defence for a cross from the captain Jessel Carneiro but missed the target. Blasters again came close to scoring on the 25th minute. Sahal Abdul Samad switched to the left wing and reached closer to the East Bengal goal line. Noticing that the East Bengal defenders were quick to block the target, he passed the ball to Lalthathanga Khawlhring (Puitea) who took a shot which missed the goal post narrowly. A freekick attempt on target from Adrian Luna was denied by East Bengal goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh with a magnificent save.

Failing to score in the first 45 minutes, Kerala Blasters attack became more consistent in the second half. Kamaljit Singh emerged as a saviour for East Bengal twice. A powerful shot on target from Apostolos Giannou at the 49th minute and a close range shot from Adrian Luna at the 53rd minute was denied by individual brilliance from the East Bengal custodian. Blasters replaced Sahal Abdul Samad with Rahul KP at the 71st minute to add freshness to attack.

First Goal of ISL 9 came in at the 72nd minute through a long ball assist by Harmanjot Singh Khabra from middle of the pitch. Adrian Luna managed to break the East Bengal defence and guide the ball to the net with his first touch.With 20 minutes more to the regular time, Coach Ivan Vukomanović introduced one of his lethal weapons to ISL 9. Ukrainian central midfielder Ivan Kaliuzhnyi came in for attacker Apostolos Giannou. With this change, Blasters switched to an Indian foreign combo with Rahul KP joining Dimitrios.Diamantakos in attack. By converting a brilliant individual run in 82nd minute and a powerful volley in 89th minute to goals, Ivan Kaliuzhnyi emerged as the super-sub for Kerala Blasters in the opening match. East Bengal was not ready to go down without a fight. Alex Lima managed to remain unmarked inside the Blasters penalty box to convert a corner to goal for the Red and Gold Brigade at the 88th minute

Home Calling, Dream Start Here.

MATCHDAY PREVIEW

The new iteration of Hero Indian Super League will kick-off on 7th of October, 2022 with Kerala Blasters taking on the Kolkatan side Emami East Bengal at JLN stadium, Kochi.Missing the silverware by a whisker in last season, KBFC will be eyeing for a win to kick start the journey towards glory. With the fans getting back to the stands, the Men in yellow is all pumped up to prove their mettle in front of their 12th Man.

TEAM NEWS

Kerala Blasters retained coach Ivan Vukomanovic, the core Indian team and the two foreigners – Adrian Luna and Marko Leskovic – after their dream run into the ISL finals last season. Victor Mongil, a familiar face to Indian football has joined our ranks alongside Ivan Kalyuzhnyi, Apostolos Giannou and Dimitrios Diamantakos.For bolstering our attacking side, we have brought in the likes of Saurav Mandal and Bryce Miranda from Churchil Brothers and also Bidhyashagar Singh in a loan deal from Bengaluru FC. Nihal Sudheesh and Sreekuttan MS have been promoted to the senior team from the reserves and the SAFF U-20 champion Vibin Mohanan will also join the squad after a loan-spell at Indian Arrows.

PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT

Ivan Kalyuzhnyi, who hails from Ukraine have impressed the spectators with his vision and on-the-ball control during preseason time.Youngsters Saurav Mandal and Bryce Miranda have shown glimpses of wonders throughout the whole preseason and they’re ready to give out everything on the field.Similar to the previous two editions of ISL, Jessel Carneiro will be leading the Yellow Army once again. Jessel, who joined the club in 2019, made his presence throughout ISL season 6 by adding 5 assists to his name in that single season. Midway through the ISL-8, he got injured and Adrian Luna lead the team thereafter.

QUICK RUNDOWN

KBFC have previously faced East Bengal 4 times in ISL out of which the spoils were shared 3 times. In their recent meeting, the Blasters emerged victorious for the scoreline of 1-0, courtesy to Enes Sipovic’s thumping header goal.

WHERE TO WATCH

You can catch the live telecast of KBFC vs EB on Star Sports, Disney+ Hotstar, Jio TV and Asianet Plus.

ITC Ltd.’s Bingo! Announces Collaboration with KBFC as Official Snacking Partner

The snacking brand Bingo! from ITC Ltd., one of India’s leading FMCG conglomerates, announced a collaboration with Kerala Blasters Football Club KBFC – one of the leading teams of Indian Super League (ISL). Bingo! has been designated the Official Snacking Partner for KBFC in the 9th Season of ISL, scheduled to begin on October 7, 2022.

As we all know, snacking enhances mundane moments. Bingo! creates more exciting moments as football fanatics dive deep into the game while enjoying their favourite snacks. Bingo! introduces a fresh collaboration that amusingly and imaginatively depicts the snack’s connection to game time. Bingo! has traditionally been associated with sports, and, this ISL season, is running its famous signature campaign “Match Start Bingo! Start” where viewers put aside their schedules to sit back, relax and cheer for their teams. Through its brand campaign, Bingo! has positioned its range of products as the perfect way to enjoy oneself while watching a favourite game. Bingo! has been present as an official snacking partner during major sporting events and has been a natural fit with sports, creating a delectable sporting experience.

Speaking on the occasion, ITC Ltd.’s Head of Marketing -Snacks, Noodles, Pasta, Mr. Aishwarya Pratap Singh said, “We are thrilled with our partnership with Kerala Blasters FC – one of India’s foremost football teams. Bingo! owns the platform of youthful and innovative snack offerings, and sports have always been front and centre of our activity since sporting fans enjoy snacking and munching almost as much as they love watching their favorite teams in action. KBFC has a very strong track record and a large fan base and together we hope to deliver exciting match experience to the fans”.

Speaking about the partnership, Kerala Blasters FC’s Director, Mr. Nikhil Bharadwaj said,” We’re pleased to have Bingo! on board as our official partner. They have been at the forefront of the snacking industry for as long as I can remember. We thank them for placing their trust in Kerala Blasters and thoroughly look forward to a successful partnership together”.

Millions of Indians pick Bingo! as their go-to snack, which enhances their experience while they are hooked to their screens in the comfort of their homes. Bingo! provides a distinctive selection of snacks in tantalizing flavours and shapes, including Original Style Potato Chips, Mad Angles and Tedhe Medhe. Bingo! has been in business for 15 years and is renowned for its distinctive, clutter-busting, youth-focused products. It has consistently recognized the significance of snacks in activities and sports.

Ather Energy joins KBFC as their digital partner for the ISL 2022-2023

Ather Energy, India’s first intelligent electric scooter manufacturer, has joined the Kerala Blaster Football Club (KBFC) as their digital partner of the team. This will be Ather Energy’s 3rd consecutive year of partnership with the finalists from last season.

Commenting on the association, Ravneet Singh Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy, said “We are delighted to continue our support with KBFC for the third year in a row. The trajectory of KBFC in this tournament parallels our own in the EV business. KBFC has established itself as one of the country’s most enthusiastic clubs and a finalist in the 2021 season. Similarly, Ather has developed strong salience in Kerala over the last year, becoming the market’s biggest EV player. Our association with KBFC has helped us to drive awareness and familiarity for our brand in Kerala and also across the country, as we continue to expand our footprint. We are hopeful that with this partnership we will be able to showcase our scooters to a larger audience and accelerate the adoption of EVs across the country”

We are excited to extend our partnership with Ather. They have been at the forefront of India’s transition to electric vehicles, and the club looks forward to helping this transformation continue and drive awareness about sustainable development,” says Nikhil Bhardwaj, Director, Kerala Blasters FC.

Kerala is one of the first markets in India to adopt EVs and has the highest scooter penetration in India. The acceptance of EVs continues to be an all time high. With Experience Centers across 9 major locations (Kochi, Calicut, Trivandrum, Kannur, Palakkad, Thrissur, Kollam, Malappuram & Tirur) and 5000+ vehicles on road, Ather is the leading electric vehicle brand in Kerala now. The company has also installed 45+ fast-charging points – Ather Grid across Kerala, speeding up the EV infrastructure. By the end of the year, Ather Energy plans to expand its presence in Kerala to more cities. The number of test ride requests for the gen3 of Ather 450X has risen exponentially across the state in recent months. This association will increase the brand awareness in Kerala as well as among the football followers across the country.

Delfrez continues its partnership with Kerala Blasters FC

Kerala Blasters FC is excited to announce that they will be continuing their partnership with Delfrez for the second year in a row, for Hero ISL Season 9. Delfrez is Suguna Foods’ brand for processed poultry and mutton products.

Enjoy a new way of shopping for meat with Suguna’s Delfrez. Delfrez provides the luxury of selecting from a range of fresh chilled meat at your convenience, that is available in different types of cuts and quantities. The backbone of Delfrez is the processing plant which ensures the highest quality and hygiene standards are met when it comes to meat supply. The plants are FSSC 22000 certified catering to various domestic and international markets as per customer demands and have been focusing primarily on food safety and quality by adapting HACCP – Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, GMP – Good Manufacturing Practices, and GHP – Good Hygiene Practices. One of the top 10 poultry companies in the world, it operates in 18 Indian states, and offers a range of poultry products and services.

Brand Quote from Delfrez – Mr MVR Krishna Prasad, Vice President, Suguna Foods said “We are excited to partner with the KBFC team for the consecutive second season of ISL. We launched the brand Delfrez last year and this was a perfect platform for us to showcase ourselves. KBFC has the highest fan club in the country and have played very well all these seasons. We will be leveraging the association this year with a strong marketing strategy, and we believe this would create a strong brand recall for our target audience. We look forward to a mutually exciting journey this season”

“We are delighted to welcome back Delfrez for a second year. The extension of this association gives us great confidence in our growth, not only as a sporting brand but also a medium for advertisement and awareness. We thank Delfrez for their belief in us and look forward to a fruitful year together,” said Nikhil Bhardwaj, Director, Kerala Blasters FC.

Kalliyath TMT partners with Kerala Blasters FC

Kerala Blasters FC is delighted to announce Kalliyath TMT as their official partners for Hero Indian Super League Season 2022-23.Established in 1929, Kalliyath Group became renowned for its commitment to superior quality and fair-trade practices in the steel industry. At the forefront of leading the steel industry to greater heights by introducing innovative steel products and revolutionary manufacturing processes in south India, Kalliyath TMT singlehandedly molds the face of the TMT steel bar production in Kerala and has made historical benchmarks in the structural steel industry by achieving the Green Pro certification and British Standard certification for export quality excellence.

Dirsha K Mohammad, Executive Director, Kalliyath TMT said, “We are extremely happy to support Kerala Blasters FC by being their official partner. We believe that playing football takes strength from within and ISL is a great platform for all football players to show their power and skills. Kalliyath TMT is excited to support Kerala Blasters FC this season and experience the magic of football.”

“Kerala Blasters FC warmly welcomes back Kalliyath TMT, a legacy brand that has been around for almost a century. They have been the pioneers of TMT steel bars in South India, and the club looks forward to collaborating with the brand and build a strong association” said Nikhil Bhardwaj, Director, Kerala Blasters FC.

CLUB W BECOMES KBFC’S OFFICIAL TRAVEL PARTNER

With a history of being the one stop service provider for all the travel needs and requirements, Widu Holidays has established itself in the travel sector industry with serving more than 10,000 plus members and spreading over to 6 major cities (Kochi, Calicut, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Chennai, and Mumbai). Since its establishment in 2017, Widus main aim was to provide quality travel services to business and leisure travellers at an affordable rate with assured quality and choices. Now Widu has taken a big step in rebranding themselves and will be known as Club W going forward. As part of this, Widu has also associated with Kerala Blasters to become their official travel partners.

“A Change is inevitable in Business, it’s better to change through plan than a forced change.We as a company believe this change or transformation from WIDU HOLIDAYS to CLUB W is better for us as a company and also for our members.  This is not just a name change, we have curated a lot more benefits for our members which are beyond their expectations along with a variety of holiday benefits. We believe this will be a revolutionary change in holiday industry” says Aravind Shankar, Managing Director, Widu Holidays. When asked about Widu’s association with Kerala Blasters team, he added “We have not been active in the marketing side of Club W, but when we started planning then it had to be a huge one like this association with KBFC. Kerala Blasters is a team that has huge global acceptance. The Blasters are one of the most widely supported clubs in Asia and has one of the largest social media following among the football clubs from the continent. We have seen the struggles and victories the club has gone through and we are really honoured to be a part of KBFC.  Also we believe the amount of acceptance and the reach Club W will be getting through this association will be huge.”

“We are delighted to partner with Club W and extend a warm welcome to them into the blasters family. As a club of Kerala, it is our honour to provide the right platform for brands from Kerala to advertise and promote. I am sure this is only the beginning of a long journey” says Nikhil Bharadwaj, Co-Owner – KBFC.

The rebranding was officially launched by KBFC main coach Ivan Vukomanović , at a grand event in Holiday Inn, Kochi. The event was attended by KBFC players Adrian Luna and Víctor Mongil.

KBFC PARTNERS WITH BODYFIRST

Kerala Blasters FC announced an extension with BodyFirst as the team’s official Nutrition Partner for the upcoming season of the Hero Indian Super League. BodyFirst, a Family Wellness and Sports Nutrition company based in Mumbai, aims to make India nutritionally efficient with its vegetarian, clean, safe, and qualified products that are formulated with clinically studied and researched ingredients.

“Kerala Blasters has always made us proud in the past. And we are happier to be associated this season as their Nutrition Partner yet again, on field and in life too! Providing World Class, Clean, Safe, Qualified & Certified Nutrition to the team for the Best of game, because together we are truly Made For More!” said Sandeep Gupta, Director, Strategic Alliance Founder & Chief Mentor, BodyFirst

After a successful two years of the partnership, we’re delighted that BodyFirst is extending with us. Off-field preparations are as vital as on-field preparations. With BodyFirst, we are always assured of our team’s wellness and nutritional needs being met to the highest standards. We look forward to the exciting partnership ahead” said Nikhil Bhardwaj, Director Kerala Blasters FC.

Denwud partners with Kerala Blasters FC

Kerala Blasters FC is proud to partner with Denwud, one of the leading PVC board and furnishing material businesses in domestic and international markets as their ‘Associate Partner’ for the upcoming season of Indian Super League. Denwud caters to almost all parts of India and the Middle East with various products in the construction and furnishing business. As part of the association, the Denwud logo will appear on the jersey sleeve of the Official Kerala Blasters FC kits.

“We are thrilled to associate with the Yellow Army, it gives us immense pleasure to extend our support to Kerala Blasters FC as its Associate Partner. Football is deeply ingrained in Keralites’ hearts and we are happy to contribute to the growth of a sport, especially by associating with one of the leading football clubs in the country” said Jibin C Easo, Director, Denwud.

“We are delighted to welcome Denwud to our family as they join our diverse group of partners for the upcoming season. We thank them for placing their trust in Kerala Blasters and thoroughly look forward to having a successful partnership together,” said Nikhil Bhardwaj, Director, Kerala Blasters FC.