Kunnathu Pharma to invest Rs.1 billion for football academy

KOCHI - Kochi-based Kunnath Pharmaceuticals, manufacturer of a herbal aphrodisiac Muslipower X-tra, is launching a football academy with an investment of Rs.1 billion.

Speaking to IANS, K.C. Abraham, managing director of Kunnath Pharmaceuticals said his aim is to produce world class players from his academy and see India winning the 2018 World Cup Soccer.

“We have drawn out an elaborate plan of action and we will get in touch with all the state football association to identify talent in the age group of 14-16. From this, we will select 1000 boys and they will be trained for two months in April and May next year,” said Abraham. “At the end of the training we will select 60 people.”

The main academy is likely to be set up in Kochi and there will be three more such centres across the country.

“The 60 selected boys will be split into four groups. All their expenses will be taken care of and their only agenda will be to play football. We will reward them handsomely as they progress and they will be paid an unbelievable amount of money for just playing football,” said Abraham.

“Once these boys attain age 18 they will be our staff members.”

Muslipower was also the main sponsor of Churchill Brothers Football Club in the last season and this season they are going to revamp the Viva Kerala Football Club.

“My aim is that my boys will win the World Cup in 2018 and it is for that I am spending Rs.100 crore. As the first step I will be taking over the Viva Kerala Football Club based here,” Abraham said.

It was only last month Abranham decided to sponsor the Wayamba team, a Sri Lankan first class cricket team based in Kurunegala.

“It was end of last month the deal for my company sponsoring Wayamba was inked and they will spot our logo on the front and back of the shirt and on the cap at the Champions League T20 tourney to be held in South Africa shortly,” said Abraham.