India is a sports-crazed country and its interest in the high-octane game of football is growing. This humongous response from Indian football fans to the ongoing FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 demonstrates that the country’s football fan base is undeniably growing. Football supporters are not happy just applauding their teams and favourite players, but there are some who are working diligently to acknowledge a vision that millions in the nation are seeing – of India playing at the biggest event of football on earth.
Mahindra and Sports18 have collaborated to showcase the efforts of grassroots heroes who are taking up difficult tasks on their adventure to take India to the footballing worldwide scene, the World Cup, which is a big factor in bringing this wish of millions of fans closer to reality.
Mahindra, a major sponsor of Sports18 and JioCinema’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, has displayed several vehicles from their remarkable SUV lineup to viewers throughout the country. Sports18 and Mahindra have collaborated to create a one-of-a-kind content series to bring Mahindra’s brand ideology to life.
Through this collaboration, Mahindra and Sports18 are shining a light on those who break down barriers and contest stigmas as they dribble to ‘Explore the Impossible.’ The “Mahindra-Explore the Impossible” content series honours three such efforts made by individuals and groups from across the nation.
The first show features Ryan Godhino from Pune, who, in addition to being an avid footballer, founded the Happy Feet FA, a football academy that trains and supports young talent as a way of giving back to the game. His academy expanded to seven locations in Pune and is now affiliated with the LaLiga football schools. Ryan’s consistent efforts have begun to bear fruit, as one of his students, Kajol D’souza, recently qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which was held in India. The series’ next two episodes tell the stories of people working in the football ecosystem in Kashmir and the North East. They develop young talent and foster a love of sports in children.
Veejay Ram Nakra, President-Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said, “Mahindra is known for its differentiated and authentic range of SUVs; SUVs that are designed and engineered to meet our customer’s need to challenge the self, explore new frontiers and do what no one has done before. ‘Explore the Impossible’ is the articulation of that very promise and of the role that our brands play in the life of our customers.
“The ’Mahindra Rise Explore the Impossible’ series, made by Sports18, fits well with our brand promise as it celebrates those grassroots heroes of Indian football who are enabling young aspiring footballers to overcome challenges and break free from constraints to make their mark on the sport.”
Viacom18 Sports, CEO, Anil Jayaraj, commented, “As an organization, we strongly believe in contributing to India’s growth as a sporting nation. Through Reliance Foundation Youth Sports, we are leaving a lasting impact at the grassroots level, and hence we strongly believe in our partner Mahindra’s brand objectives. The special content series ‘Mahindra – Explore The Impossible’ is our first such initiative in this direction around the FIFA World Cup coverage. We hope to deliver the message of Mahindra’s brand philosophy by putting the grassroots heroes in the footballing ecosystem under the spotlight.”
Aditi Mishra, CEO Lodestar, UM, said, “We at Lodestar UM believe strongly in the power of Sports to drive Brand ambitions. There has been a big shift in the sporting landscape over the last couple of years opening up a larger opportunity to associate, encourage & support the youth in a way that befits both client and the emerging sport. Our creation of the “Mahindra Rise Explore The Impossible” stories sits at this sweet spot connecting M&M SUV’s positioning of ‘Explore the Impossible’ and creating a pathway for the youth to achieve their dreams. The partnership with Sports18 gave us a platform to bring alive this passion and facilitate the people and institutions that are helping this sport to grow in India.”
All three episodes of the series will be accessible on JioCinema and Sports18’s social media accounts. With people like these and others working very hard and quietly to develop talent in the footballing arena, India’s inclusion in the worldwide sporting event will be a reality soon.