EPL side West Bromwich Albion looking for Indian sponsors

New Delhi English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion are in talks with some leading Indian companies after their current sponsor decided to pull the plug in the wake of striker Nicolas Anelkas controversial racismlinked goal celebration in an EPL matchWest Brom a midtable EPL side will have to find a new sponsor after Londonbased property company Zoopla decided not to renew their twoyear 3 million pound sponsorship deal which runs till the end of current season over Anelkas quenelle gesture which some say is an inverted Nazi salute and has antiSemitic connotationsWest Brom Sales and Marketing Director Adrian Wright said at the sidelines of an event here that he would meet some top corporates in the country for a possible deal for the main sponsor of the club We are going to meet some top corporate houses in India which have shown interest in becoming a sponsorIts in a preliminary stage but if an Indian company becomes our sponsor it would be a great development for us We are going to meet them before we fly out in Saturday Wright said If it happens the name of an Indian company will be seen for the first time on the jersey of an EPL club during Premier League matches he said after the launch of its Pass It Forward grassroot international coaching programme in IndiaIt is learnt that the corporates Albion are going to meet include Airtel Reliance Tata and JCB and the meetings have been arranged through the FICCI and CII A meeting with Reliance company assumes significance as Albion are reportedly interested in buying a franchisee of Indian Super League proposed to be organised by IMGReliance in September West Bromwich may be interested in having an Indian company as main sponsor as it has a large Asian population in its surroundingsWest Bromwich town is located just a few kilometres from Birmingham which is Britains one of the most Asian populated cities Wright even went to the extent of saying that the first team of West Bromwich Albion may plan to play exhibition matches in India in the coming years I am surprised that such a beautiful stadium Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium has not been used much for football matchesI know Bayern Munich played here in Bhaichung Bhuitias farewell match in 2012 but the current pitch is not good for topclass football I am told a new pitch will be laid If that is done our first team may play here in near future Wright said Under its Pass It Forward programme Albion would send FA Football Association of England qualified coaches to train Indian youngsters from all walks of life including from the deprived sections of societyThe club also plans to hold a Youth Football League and Street Football Leagues in India Albion have joined forces with Youth Football International a coaching organisation based here Pass it Forward coaching sessions will be held at schools and in some of New Delhis most deprived areas during the weeklong trip Under the programme we will send coaches to India to train youngsters six times a year Wright saidIt is a longterm programme for fivesix years initially In each trip the coaching programme will be conducted from seven to 10 days We will come back in March and then may be in August or September We will not come in peak summer months he said We dont have any international coaching programme in other countries This is the only one we have outside UK We want to have a longterm relationship with Indian footballGareth Conte of the YFI said promising players from among the selected Indian youngsters will be trained at the academy in West Bromwich Albion Our coaching approach will be different Around 30 per cent of youngsters will be from among deprived sections of society We want to bring changes in their lives through football The best among the youngsters will be trained in our academyWho knows some of them may play for India in 2017 FIFA Under17 World Cup which India is hosting Conte said He said the club also plans to spread out in other Indian cities later on As of now our focus is in New Delhi But we are hoping that in the next fivesix years we want to spread out in around 50 Indian towns and cities We want to help in raising the profile of Indian football he said