Team Herald
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PANJIM: Leading tyre maker Apollo Tyres launch the fifth edition of its flagship grassroots football programme, United We Play (UWP), in the presence of Manchester United players Harry Maguire, André Onana and Diogo Dalot in Mumbai, recently.
Supported by Manchester United, United We Play is a pan-India initiative to support young footballers in India by giving them a platform to showcase their skills with the objective of motivating aspiring footballers to continue playing, by engaging with them, and introducing them to global training methods.
Harry Maguire, André Onana and Diogo Dalot, who are on their maiden visit to India, officially launched and kicked off the activities for the fifth season of the United We Play programme. Over the past four seasons, the United We Play programme has reached out to over 30,000 aspiring footballers across 25 cities in India.
Speaking at the launch, Harry Maguire said, “It has been a privilege to launch the new season of ‘United We Play’. Manchester United have fans around the world and we can feel the passion that exists for the team and for the sport here in India. The work of the club and Apollo Tyres is ensuring the next generation of talent has the opportunity play football in excellent facilities, with the infrastructure around them to nurture talent. We have seen first-hand how impactful the United We Play programme is and the positive effect it has at the grassroots level.”
The fourth season was an overwhelming success last year which concluded with the visit of Manchester United legend Gary Neville, wherein more than 15,000 young footballers from across the country participated. It reached out to 18 cities pan-India and over 100 coaches were engaged through virtual Manchester United Soccer Schools training sessions, ensuring that the teachings and training methods reached every footballer involved in the programme.