Sidharth Malhotra Inaugurates The National Inclusion Cup – A CSR initiative of Sony Pictures Networks India

Mumbai, February 13, 2017 Famous youth icon, Sidharth Malhotra, along with the senior management of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and the founding team of Slum Soccer, inaugurated The National Inclusion Cup at the Andheri Sports Complex, in Mumbai, today. Supporting the cause of empowering India’s underprivileged youth through sports, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has partnered with the NGO ‘Slum Soccer’ for this CSR initiative. The National Inclusion Cup is the only national football tournament of its kind for underprivileged Indian youth.

The five-day football tournament is being held in Mumbai for the first time. This year, teams from Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Vidharbha, Orissa, Gujarat, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh are participating. Slum Soccer also invited several local non-profit organizations such as Dream a Dream, Cequin, Oscar, YFC Rurka Kalan, Maher, Jeet Foundation, Khelduar, Childreach International, Karmic Foundation, Sparky Football, Leher Foundation, amongst others to bring their teams to participate in the cup.

Once the tournament in India concludes, the final selected teams comprising of 8 men and 8 women players each, will represent India at the 15th Homeless World Cup in Oslo, Norway from August 29 to September 5, 2017. The selected players will receive intensive coaching, practice and social skills training for the Homeless World Cup, where 63 nations meet every year for the World Championship.

Speaking on the occasion Sidharth Malhotra, Actor and Supporter of Slum Soccer said “Everyone is equal in sport irrespective of your background. I truly believe in Nelson Mandela’s saying that ‘Sports has the power to change the world’. This is a very exciting and empowering initiative and I really hope that our Slum Soccer team wins the world cup for us and makes India proud.”