Premier League hosts week-long fan and community events in Mumbai
The Premier League celebrates its growing presence in India with a week-long series in Mumbai, featuring fan screenings, community coach development, and former England star Michael Owen. Initiatives aim to expand grassroots football, benefiting local coaches and over 80 children.
Hyderabad: The Premier League is preparing to mark another milestone in India.
After opening its Mumbai office earlier this year, the League is staging a week-long series of activities in the city, reinforcing its commitment to fans and communities across the country.
Former Liverpool, Manchester United, and Newcastle United striker Michael Owen, together with the iconic Premier League Trophy, will headline this week of fan and community engagement.
The activities will begin on Saturday, 4 October with Premier League Live, a fan-park style screening at the NESCO Centre supported by the League’s official broadcast partner JioStar. More than 1,000 fans will be able to experience a Premier League matchday atmosphere with multiple matches being shown live. This includes Leeds vs Tottenham, Manchester United vs Sunderland, and Arsenal vs West Ham, before defending Champions Liverpool take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the final clash of the day.
The League will also be delivering a Community Coach Development Programme in collaboration with the British Council to support 27 community coaches and expand access to football.
Led by coaches from the Premier League, Brentford FC and Newcastle United FC, the three-day programme will include a showcase event on Wednesday, October 8 at Cooperage Football Ground in Mumbai. Former England international Owen will be among the special guests in attendance, meeting the local coaches as they put their new skills into action with 80 children from the Oscar Foundation.
This initiative builds on long-standing support for the development of grassroots football in India. Since 2007, the partnership between the Premier League and the British Council has seen community programmes delivered in 18 Indian states, supporting more than 7,500 coaches, referees and educators, and benefitting over 164,000 young people.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “India is home to millions of knowledgeable football fans who follow the Premier League passionately and we are delighted to be hosting this series of exciting events and initiatives. Our commitment to India stretches back nearly two decades and this activity builds on the opening of our office in Mumbai earlier this year.”
“We are committed to further strengthening our relationship with India. We look forward to engaging with our fans and partners through the week, as well as building on our longstanding work to develop the game at a grassroots level in India,” he said.
