Bundesliga side TSG 1899 Hoffenheim are gearing up for their maiden tour of India which will see them touch down in the country on Monday, May 12. The tour organised by Switzerland-based Adamant Sports Management AG with the support of Presenting Partners – the German Bundesliga and IT-major SAP – will bring one of the upcoming teams in German football to the sub-continent.

“The German Bundesliga has proved to be one of the best leagues in the world with many talents breaking through to the top level. Hoffenheim has a young squad with a few experienced players and we are delighted to present these stars of the Bundesliga to the football fans in India,” Arunava Chaudhuri, Project Manager, Adamant Sports AG, said.

Hoffenheim will be travelling to India with all their top players except the ones on national duty in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. German international Andreas Beck, Brazilian Roberto Firmino and Poland international Eugen Polanski will be spearheading the German side scheduled to visit Aizawl, Kolkata and Goa.

Adamant Sports’ Chris Punnakkattu Daniel said: “Hoffenheim is coming to India with the aim to strengthen the Indo-German football relations and to activate various social projects in the country. Hoffenheim has a long-term vision to provide their expertise to Indian football and this tour will be just the start for more to come.”

“We are happy that the Mizoram Football Association has agreed to field its State Team including various I-League stars like Jeje Lalpekhlua and Lalrindika Ralte in an exhibition match against Hoffenheim in Aizawl,” Punnakkattu Daniel said. “The Northeast of India has always produced some of the finest footballers in the country and the people are really passionate about the game. It will be a once in a lifetime experience for the people of Mizoram and of course for the Hoffenheim team too.”

The match in Aizawl will be the only one game for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim during their 2014 India Tour. “We would have loved to arrange more games in other parts of the country, but we had to lower the sights due to several restrictions caused by the general elections in India,” Chaudhuri explained.

“The Bundesliga was one of the first top leagues to take an interest in Indian football. Chris and I arranged a Memorandum of Understanding between the Bundesliga and the All India Football Federation in 2006 which paved the way for various follow-ups,” Chaudhuri stated. “Hoffenheim’s visit to India will mark a new historic chapter in the relationship between Indian and German football.”

“Indian football has been always a top priority to Arunava and me. We are glad that we are now able to bring Hoffenheim to India as part of our future plans related to Indian football at Adamant Sports,” Punnakkattu Daniel said. “Football in India is at a crucial point at the moment with topics like the Indian Super League, the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup and much more. Adamant Sports would like to contribute towards Indian football through our years and years of experience.”

“Hoffenheim’s India Tour is just the beginning and we are working on several other projects which also further strengthen the relationship between India and Germany and benefit Indian football,” Chaudhuri added.

Football fans addicted to social media will be able to follow and to be part of the football extravaganza on the various platforms with the use of the official hashtag #1899INDIA.

About TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim is a Bundesliga club based in Hoffenheim, a suburb of Sinsheim, in the south-western German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. The club was founded on July 1, 1899 as a gymnastics club named TV Sinsheim with 20 members, while a football section was established between 1921 and 1923. The club decided to merge the gymnastics and football sections after the end of the Second World War in 1945 under its new name TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
The football club played in the Kreisliga A, the 9th Division in German football, when it experienced a boost in the 1989-90 season with SAP co-founder Dietmar Hopp deciding to support the club. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim witnessed a steady progress over the years and pushed to professional football with its promotion to the 2nd Division after the 2006-07 season. The club gained promotion to the 1st Division Bundesliga in its debut season itself and has been a regular part of the top tier of German football since the 2008-09 season.

About Adamant Sports Management AG
Adamant Sports Management AG is an international agency for successful sports careers and sports projects. Adamant Sports pools from its head office in Zurich, Switzerland the competencies of a broadly diversified network in order to turn ambitious goals and unusual ideas into reality.
Adamant Sports offers a wide range of services in the sports business including the management, consultancy and support for athletes, talents and sports organisations, marketing, purchasing, sales, management and organisation of sports rights and sporting events.