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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

1XBAT Sporting Lines joins hands with Kerala Blasters FC as Presenting Sponsor

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Kerala Blasters FC is happy to announce 1XBat Sporting Lines, an online news platform that brings you the most up-to-date and highlighted news in the world of Sports, as their Presenting Sponsor for the upcoming season of the Indian Super League. Through this association, 1XBat logo will appear on the chest and back of the jersey in the Official Kerala Blasters FC kits.

“We are immensely happy to become official partners of Kerala Blasters FC. 1XBat team is honored to be associated with one of the top and most famous football teams of the Indian Super League – Kerala Blasters Football Club. Together we can create history and make millions of people around India proud of football as a great and respected sport. We truly believe that 1XBat Sporting Line’s collaboration with Kerala Blasters FC will become one of the most beautiful and fantastic associations that will bring brilliant results,” said Tatiana Popova, Co-founder and Marketing Director – 1XBAT

Speaking on the alliance, Nikhil Bhardwaj, Director, Kerala Blasters FC said, “I am delighted to announce our new partnership with 1XBAT. They are a reputable and global brand with a great commitment to football and sports globally as is seen with their numerous partnerships across various European clubs and leagues. We share a common endeavor to strengthen our positions as market leaders in our respective fields. I have no doubts that this partnership is just the beginning of a very long and fruitful association together. My warmest welcome to everyone at 1XBAT into the Blasters family.”

THE REWIND : KBFC vs MCFC

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Kerala Blasters clinched an exquisite win against Mumbai City FC in the crucial match of the season(3-1). A brace from Alvaro Vazquez and a first-half goal from Sahal ensured us three points. Diego Mauricio scored the solitary goal for the visitors from the spot.

Ivan Vukomanovic made two changes in the starting eleven with Sahal replacing Vincy and Sandeep replacing Khabra. It was Mumbai who got things underway in the Tilak Maidan and both teams were eager to score the first goal. KBFC dominated the first half and the quick one-two passes created a lot of threat in the opposition box.

Sahal Abdul Samad broke the dead-lock through a goal which showed his ability and talent. He dribbled past Mumbai defenders with ease and produced a shot in between the legs of Mourtada Fall and Mehtab Singh. Goalkeeper was already beaten and he had no chance of saving it. The much awaited goal gave Blasters more confidence to push forward and Mumbai was also creating chances at the other end to equalize.

Alvaro Vazquez got an opportunity to double the lead from Adrian Luna’s corner, but his shot was saved by the Mumbai defence. Just before the interval, the Spaniard scored his first goal of the night from the spot. He was fouled inside the box by Islanders’ skipper Fall and the referee pointed his finger to the spot without any hesitation. Alvaro amped up for the penalty and did his job perfectly.

In the initial minutes of the second half, Blasters searched for the third goal to kill the game off, but nothing came out of the efforts. Alvaro’s second of the night came from Nawaz’s mistake. The Spaniard was putting up a lot of pressure for the Mumbai defence earlier also. Nawaz made a mistake and his miss-kick was caught by Alvaro who just tapped in the ball to the net. Mumbai’s solitary goal came from Diego Mauricio’s penalty kick. The Islanders were awarded a penalty for Hormipam’s touch on Mauricio and he converted the penalty-kick to goal.

After reducing the lead, Mumbai looked more dangerous with their attacks, but our defense stepped up and Gill supported his defensive line with proper outings and saves. In the eighty first minute, Blasters was awarded with a free-kick outside the box and this time Luna got ready for the kick. He whipped the ball towards the net, but the goalkeeper got a hand on it. He spilled the ball and Rahul, who came in for Sahal, provided a pass to Vazquez but he failed to surpass the keeper. Six minutes were added on to the second half and Blasters played an impressive game in the final minutes to keep the score at 3-1.

An important win in this game has taken KBFC to a possible play-off spot. KBFC stands fourth in the league table with 33 points from 19 games. Blasters will square off with FC Goa on 6th March, in another crucial game of the season.

KBFC XI:- Prabhsukhan Singh Gill(GK), Sandeep Singh Soraisham, Hormipam Ruivah, Marko Leskovic, Sanjeev Stalin, Ayush Adhikari, Lalthathanga Khawlhring, Sahal Abdul Samad, Adrian Luna(C), Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Alvaro Vazquez Garcia.

Subs:- Karanjit Singh(GK), Enes Sipovic, Rahul KP, Sachin Suresh(GK), Givson Singh Moirangthem, Prasanth Karuthadathkuni, Bijoy V, Vincy Barretto, Chencho Gyeltshen.

MCFC XI:- Mohammed Nawaz(GK), Mandar Rao Desai, Mehtab Singh, Mourtada Fall(C), Rahul Bheke, Lalengmawia Ralte, Bradden Inman, Cássio Gabriel, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Bipin Singh, Igor Angulo.

Subs:- Phurba Lachenpa(GK), Amey Ranawade, Vikram Pratap Singh, Gurkirat Singh, Ahmed Jahouh, Raynier Fernandes, Vinit Rai, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, Diego Mauricio.

MATCH PREVIEW – KERALA BLASTERS VS CHENNAIYIN FC

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Kerala blasters will lock horns with our southern rivals Chennaiyin FC on 26th February 2022 on a
battle to win back the confidence. Both teams are returning from a defeat and will be striving to regain their confidence by a win.

‘Marina Machans’, who have failed to register a win in their last 6 outings will be all set to give out
everything on the field to win their next 2 matches. Closing the season on a winning
note will be the prime target for coach Syed Sabir Pasha too.

Whereas, Kerala blasters have a must win match to secure the semi-final spot. After a dream run this
season, Ivan Vukomanovic’s men will not be satisfied with anything lesser than a win. Returning from a
last-minute draw against ATK Mohun Bagan, Kerala Blasters fought hard and went down against
Hyderabad FC in the last match. As the season is approaching its closure, each win counts for the
“YELLOW ARMY’.

Availability of Rahul KP will open up options to add more fire power in wing attack for Blasters.
Also, Soraisam Sandeep Singh returning from the suspension makes the defence unit stronger.
However, the man in charge Coach Ivan Vukomanovic and his game plans will remain to play the crucial part in
the MEN IN YELLOW’s performance on feild. When the likes of Aridan luna, Vincy Barretto, Alvaro Vasquez and
Sahal Abdul Samad step in to field on a must win game, it will be interesting to watch how the
Chennaiyin FC defence will be able to contain them.

Kerala Blasters Custodian Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, who have impressed even the opponent team
with a spectacular double save in last match is definitely at his best

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall, in the Indian super league, CHENNAIYIN FC oversee the fixture with 6 victories out of the 17
times we met. 7 games saw both teams sharing points and KERALA BLASTERS secured wins in
remaining 4 encounters.

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT.

Aridan luna who is in blistering form will be the player to watch out for.

Vincy Barretto, who was the goal scorer in the last match will be high on confidence and it will be
interesting to watch what he has to offer against the Chennaiyin FC defence.

Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, who is repeatedly demonstrating why he is the front runner for the Golden
Glove will be the man to defeat for the Chennaiyin FC attackers.

WHERE TO WATCH

Online Streaming: Disney+Hotstar JioTV and Asianet plus.

NEW SEASON, SAME GRIT

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The brand new edition of Hero Indian Super League is almost here. The league will officially kick-off on 7th of October, 2022 at JLN stadium, Kochi. KBFC will square off with Emami East Bengal in the inaugural match of ISL 9 and we all are very excited about the game as fans will be returning to the home after 2 long seasons.

Kerala Blasters finished the previous season as runners-up, but now will be looking forward to winning their maiden trophy. The preseason preparations are in full swing, and KBFC is sweating it out in their UAE preseason tour. The team in yellow has revamped the squad with some crucial incomings and outgoings.

Let’s have a look at the newest additions we made to the squad!

  • Apostolos Giannou

The Greek-Australian centre forward was the first foreign player we signed for the season. Giannou, 32 year old forward is coming to the club with ample amount of experience in his back. He started his career with the Oakleigh Cannons and South Melbourne and made his professional debut for the Greek first division side Apollon Kalamarias in 2007, scoring his first goal in late 2008 for the club. He also has represented Greece and Australia in the international level at various occasions and have scored for Australia in a friendly against Kuwait and in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup against Palestine. Giannou will be a great addition to the squad as he brings home a bag of experience playing in various countries across the globe.

  • Ivan Kalyuzhnyi

Ivan Volodymyrovich Kalyuzhnyi, who is a central midfielder and hails from Ukraine. This 24 year old professional was our second addition to the foreign contingent and he is on loan from the Ukrainian premier league club FC Oleksandriya. Ivan made his professional debut with Metalist 1925 Kharkiv back in the 2018-19 season and scored a goal for them. This young midfielder will be pivotal in Vukomanovic’s plan of action and the gaffer will be looking forward to accomplishing his versatility.

  • Victor Mongil

Victor Mongil needs no introduction to the Indian Football fans, he has been here for the past 3 years. In his first stint in India with ATK, he emerged as the ISL champion in the 2019-20 season. Later, he came back to India last season and captained Odisha FC after a season with his former club Dinamo Tbilisi. The Spanish defender has represented his country at the age level and grew up through Valladolid’s youth system. One of the notable achievements during his career was playing in UEFA Europa League qualifiers with the Georgian top division club Dinamo Tbilisi. Victor assures a handful of experience and versatility on the table for our club.

  • Dimitrios Diamantakos

Dimitrios, 29 year old striker hailing from Greece is our “last piece of puzzle”. A pure, pacey forward, with a handful of experience will surely help the team and our youngsters to improve and grow. With the likes of his compatriot Giannou joining him in the front line, Dimitrios assures us a goal. Diamantakos started his career at Atromitos Piraeus, later he joined the youth teams of Olympiacos in 2009. He has joined our ranks from the Croatian top division club HNK Hajduk Split. This Greek international has plied his trade across Europe with an amazing spell in the Bundesliga 2, and always had eyes on goal.

  • Bryce Miranda

The Mumbai born winger joined our ranks from the I-League side Churchill Brothers FC. Bryce grew up Mumbai FC’s youth setup and has played for their developmental teams upto U-18 level. He was signed for Churchill in 2020, made his debut in their colours against Indian Arrows. During his spell in the I-League, Bryce has 3 goals and 4 assists to his name. Also, he has represented India in the U-23 category and made his debut against Kyrgyzstan in 2021. He has joined us on a multi-year deal which will keep him with us till 2026.

  • Saurav Mandal

This 21 year old boy has joined us from Churchill Brothers along with Bryce. Saurav, a natural winger who can play on either wing, will bolster our squad without a doubt. Born at Jalandhar, Punjab he started his career through JCT Football academy and in 2020 he joined the I-League outfit Churchill.

  • Bidyashagar Singh

The Manipur born striker is a well known name among the Indian football fans. Bidyashagar is the academy product. of East Bengal, has represented them in various age categories. Later in 2020, he joined I-League side Trau FC, scored 12 goals from 15 matches and became the top scorer and player of the season 2020-21. He was the only Indian player to score 2 hat tricks in a single season. Following this amazing spell of his career he joined Bengaluru FC and now has signed for us for a season-long loan deal. With the scoring boots and ambition for goal, we hope Bidya will create wonders this season.

With the likes of Adrian Luna, Marko Leskovic, Sandeep Singh, Jeakson Singh, Prabhsukhan Gill,Bijoy Varghese, Karanjit Singh extending their stay with us and the bunch of youngsters we have, the rushers will be aiming for the championship which we missed last time by a whisker.

Also we have a new addition in our coaching team. The Belgian coach Frank Dauwen has joined our ranks as assistant coach for the coming edition of ISL. He has ample experience in working with different teams like Al Ahl, Westerlo etc.. He will replace Stephen Van Der Heyden.

Apart from all these additions, we bid adieu to some of our favourite men who have always donned the yellow with pride.

It was always Jorge Diaz and Alvaro Vazquez in the attacking line for us, now both of them have joined other ISL teams. Alvaro Vazquez who was lethal in the attack for us last season has joined our fellow ISL side FC Goa. The Spaniard was an integral part of Ivan’s plans last season and gave us a memorable season with his masterpiece volleys and vital goals. The Argentine was one of our important signings last season and he has helped a lot to take the club into the finals. Jorge Diaz will be wearing Mumbai City’s colours this time. The young full-back Sanjeev Stalin will follow Diaz’s way as he is also signed by the Islanders. Sanjeev got opportunities after Jessel’s injury and always lived up to the expectations. He was a workforce who always made his presence felt in both attack and defence.

Chencho Gyeltshen, our Asian signing last year has left the club after a memorable season. Even though he got only a few chances during games, he has always been a good guy who is ready to give his everything on the pitch. We wish the Bhutanese striker nothing but best for his future. The last player to leave from our foreign contingent last season is Sipovic. The Bosnian defender has been a towering presence in our back-line. Sipo has scored a goal for us against East Bengal which was a crucial one. Another player leaving from our defence is the local lad Abdul Hakku. Hakku joined our ranks during the 2018-19 season and scored a goal against Hyderabad FC in the 2020-21 season. In 2021, he was loaned out to the I-League side Gokulam Kerala FC and now has moved out permanently.

Vincy Barretto, the Goan lad has completed his move to Chennaiyin FC. Vincy is a pacey winger and was instrumental during our run in RF Development League. He has also got 2 goals in his name for the Blasters in ISL. Yendrembam Denechandra Meitei will be playing for Odisha FC in the upcoming season as he has completed a loan move to the Juggernauts side. Denechandra joined the men in yellow during the 2020-21 season. Sreekuttan VS who came up through our reserve team will join the I-League side Gokulam Kerala FC after a season-long loan spell this year. Sreekuttan was part of our reserve squad who played in Kerala Premier League 2020-21. With an impressive performance for the reserve team Sreekuttan was called up to the senior team who took part in the 130th edition of Durand Cup. He made his debut against the Indian Navy football team and earned a penalty kick which later Luna converted to goal.

Albino Gomes who served us for 2 seasons has also made his way out. Albino has been a vital presence under our bars and always saved us with his quick reflexes and long hands. Another one leaving the rushers will be Seityasen Singh. Seitya was signed by Blasters prior to the ISL season 6. He scored one of our goals in that thumping 5-1 victory against Hyderabad FC. Last season he was loaned out to Hyderabad FC during the middle of the season.

Even though a handful of players have left the club, we have made sure to find proper replacements for them. Along with all the new signings we expect some of our academy boys to make it into the senior team with their abilities displayed during the Indian Oil Durand Cup this year.