The Kozhikode District Football Association and Mondial Sports Management LLP have joined hands to resume and revive the Sait Nagjee Trophy after a 21-year gap. A premier football tournament in India and an event that was very popular in Kerala, it will be renamed and relaunched as the Nagjee International Club Football Tournament.
The tournament is scheduled to start on the 5th of February 2016 and go on till the 21st of February, and will be inaugurated at the historic Kozhikode Corporation EMS Stadium, where it was initially started in 1952. A one-of-a-kind tournament, it will see seven famed teams from across Europe and South America participate along with an Indian club team.
The participating teams include Argentina's U-23 team, Premier League outfit Watford's U-23 team, La Liga side Levante's U-23 team, Atletico Paranaense's U-23 team from Brazil, German team TSV 1860 Munchen's U-23 side, Romania’s Rapid Bucharest's first team, Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin's U-23 team and an I-League team. All the foreign teams have been roped in by Supersub Management, who are also the Technical Partners of the Tournament.
Mondial Sports Management LLP have invited iconic Brazilian star Ronaldinho to Kozhikode as a “Guest of Honour” for the Nagjee International Club Football Tournament. Confirming that the World Cup winner will be involved with the tournament, Vaibhav Pawar, Director, Supersub Management, speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, said, "Ronaldinho will be here in India as the brand ambassador of the tournament. He will be here in India for grand launch of the event.”
This will be the first visit to the Indian sub-continent for the Brazilian, who will exclusively be involved with the tournament in what would be a fitting tribute to the iconic trophy of the yesteryears.
The Sait Nagjee tournament has in the past seen many famous teams participate and the tournament has also acted as a means to foster dialogue and peace, with teams from India's neighbours Pakistan also participating in the tourney.
The former Barcelona star was received by a vociferous crowd in Kozhikode, eager to get a look at their hero.
The fans came in numbers:
And here’s the magician thanking the frenzied crowd:
Ronaldinho addressing the media:
