One of the oldest football clubs of Delhi, Garhwal FC, has announced that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), India’s largest energy company, has agreed to be its Associate Sponsor for the season, in a deal which includes enhanced visibility for ONGC in the Second Division League, Delhi Senior Division and all other tournaments for the season.
It marks the latest in a rich history of high-profile sports sponsorships and brand associations for Garhwal FC, which is the only football club from the states of New Delhi and Uttarakhand to participate in a national-level professional football league – the Second Division League which is the third highest football league competition in India after Indian Super League and I-League. ONGC has been associated with the club for a while and has also provided its support during the Delhi State Premier Football League Championships.
Apart from being ranked as the Top Energy Company in India, and having a unique distinction of being a company with in-house service capabilities in all areas of exploration and production of oil & gas and related oil-field services, ONGC has a great heritage and presence across Indian sporting fraternity with 179 active sportspersons and 159 players on scholarships, spread over 23 disciplines. Out of them, 93 sportspersons are international players who have represented the country in Cricket, Chess, Table Tennis, Athletics, Badminton, Volleyball, Hockey, Lawn Tennis, Football and Shooting amongst other sporting disciplines.
“ONGC Group of Companies, as a committed corporate entity shall promote culture for Sports and Healthcare within and outside the organization for the development of Human Capital. It will also strive to bring about excellence by tapping latent talent and promote the games in which the country has the potential for success and competitive advantage,” reads the Corporate Sports Statement of the company, which has the Human Resource Department Head as the ex-officio chairman of the ONGC Sports Committee.
Garhwal FC’s General Secretary Magan Patwal, said, “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome ONGC to Garhwal FC’s family of key sponsors and partners and look forward to working with them at this truly exciting time for Indian football. As an established and respected organization, ONGC is the perfect partner for the club and we have a shared vision of a positive future for professional league football in the region. ONGC’s backing of the Indian sports industry, specifically football, is hugely valued and appreciated and I say that not only on behalf of the Garhwal FC but also for all sports persons and organizations engaged in the sports industry spread across numerous game disciplines who have received assistance from ONGC over the years.”