Churchill Brothers’ sponsors may withdraw Musli power
By IANSWednesday, January 6, 2010
PANAJI - A leading aphrodisiac manufacturer could review its reported Rs.9 crore sponsorship of Churchill Brothers Football Club a day after its three players were held for allegedly molesting an airhostess on board a Spice Jet aircraft in Mumbai.
K.C. Abraham, managing director of Kerala-based Kunnath Pharmaceuticals, told IANS Wednesday that he was arriving in Goa to review the situation “following Tuesday’s developments”.
“I will be travelling to Goa along with my team to meet Churchill Alemao (chief patron of Churchill Brothers). I want to personally verify the facts, which have been reported in the media. The meeting has been scheduled at 3 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday),” Abraham told IANS by phone from Kerala.
Kunnath Pharmaceuticals manufactures Musli Power Xtra, an ayurvedic aphrodisiac “formulated from safed musli, widely known as Indian herbal aphrodisiac, which is a complete solution for sexual problems”, according to the company’s official website.
Following the Rs.9 crore sponsorship deal signed between the company and the club in September last year, the nationally-renowned Churchill Brothers had been officially christened Musli Power - Churchill Brothers, with the players wearing co-branded jerseys.
Abraham said his team would try and get to the bottom of the molestation scandal, which the football club is embroiled in.
“Any decision on the sponsorship (of Churchill Brothers) will be taken after the meeting tomorrow,” Abraham said.
Earlier in the day, Joaquim Alemao, Churchill Alemao’s brother and president of the Goa-based football club, told IANS there was no chance of the endorsement deal being called off.
“There is no talk like this. I have not heard anything. When there is no misconduct, where is the chance of endorsements being dropped?” Joaquim, also a cabinet minister in the Goa government, asked.
Three of the club’s top players, including star striker Odafa Okolie from Nigeria, were Tuesday accused of molesting an airhostess on board the Spice Jet flight at Mumbai.
Following the complaint, the entire 23-member team, which had boarded the aircraft en-route Kolkata to play an I-league game with West Bengal giants Mohun Bagan, was offloaded at the Mumbai airport and criminal charges filed against the three accused.
