New Community Football Initiative by Manchester City and Etihad Airways to Benefit Young Indians

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Manchester City and their global partner, Etihad Airways, are teaming up to create a brighter future for youth in India by launching a new community football initiative in various cities across the nation.

This collaborative effort involves Manchester City working alongside Etihad Airways, the Club’s charitable arm City in the Community, and the non-governmental organization (NGO) Magic Bus India Foundation to provide health and life skills training to local youth through football.

Scheduled to commence this April, the project will debut in three cities within Etihad’s network: New Delhi, Kolkata, and Bangalore, with plans for expansion to additional locations later on.

This initiative represents the latest in a series of impactful community ventures between Manchester City and Etihad since their Official Partnership began in 2009. Previous collaborations include global and regional summits held in Manchester and Abu Dhabi, focusing on enhancing the abilities of young leaders in community football coaching and leadership roles.

The on-ground implementation of this initiative will be spearheaded by the local NGO Magic Bus India Foundation, which has been partnering with the club on various initiatives since 2016, such as an Etihad-supported program in Kolkata that educated 2,000 young individuals on health and hygiene through football.

To kick-start the initiative’s impact, Etihad will transport coaches from City in the Community, the Club’s official charity, to India to provide top-notch football and leadership training to Young Leaders leading these projects. These trained individuals will then apply their skills, demonstrating their commitment to using football as a tool to improve the well-being of youth in their respective cities.

Tom Pitchon, Director of City Football Group’s global foundation, said: “We are proud to work with Etihad Airways to uplift the health and life skills of young people across India through the power of football.

“Etihad are a long-standing supporter of our community football impact, and it’s great to have them on board, helping us create real impact for young people around the world.”

Akhil Anumolu, Senior Vice President eCommerce, Digital, Marketing and Loyalty at Etihad Airways: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Etihad to work hand-in-hand with our partners at City Football Group to support the local community in India. Over the comin

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