Bundesliga side TSG 1899 Hoffenheim has announced a star-studded squad for their maiden tour of India. The Germans will touch down in the country on Monday, May 12 as part of a one-week long tour organised by Switzerland-based Adamant Sports Management AG with the support of Presenting Partners – the German Bundesliga and IT-major SAP.

German international and captain Andreas Beck, Brazilian shooting star Roberto Firmino and Poland international Eugen Polanski will be spearheading the German side on their journey which will take them to Delhi, Aizawl, Kolkata and Goa.

“My intention was to have the team together for another week after a successful, but exhausting season,” TSG 1899 Hoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol said. “It will also give us the opportunity to reflect and analyse the season. Hence the India Tour developed together with the DFL (operating body of the Bundesliga) and SAP.”

Arunava Chaudhuri, Project Manager, Adamant Sports Management AG, said, “Hoffenheim choosing India for their end of the season tour is a great event to happen and it will further strengthen the Indo-German football relations. We at Adamant Sports are happy to support Hoffenheim in their aim to build a long-term relationship with Indian football.”

“Hoffenheim will be coming to India with all their star players except the ones preparing for the FIFA World Cup. Indian fans will be able to witness some entertaining football when Hoffenheim takes on the Mizoram XI on May 13. It will be a great experience for the players, officials and fans taking part in the game and the ones watching it across the country live on television,” Adamant Sports representative Chris Punnakkattu Daniel told.

“It will be certainly an interesting and reasonable conclusion of the season for us in an alien culture. We are really looking forward to it,” coach Gisdol added.

Brazilian Roberto Firmino is looking forward to get a first-hand feeling of Indian football and the match against the Mizoram XI. “I’m really looking forward to the friendly match in Aizawl. I’m curious to know how the standard of Indian football is like and how much the people are interested in the game. One gets to know primarily about cricket, if you hear about India and sports,” Firmino told.

The Mizoram Football Association (MFA) has also announced its squad for the match at the Lammual Stadium in Aizawl. Indian international Jeje Lalpekhlua, Lalrindika Ralte, Shylo Malsawmtluanga and Robert Lalthlamuana will be added to the squad which won the 2014 Santosh Trophy, while a few Mizoram Premier League (MPL) players would be also part of the Mizoram team.

The Mizoram XI v TSG 1899 Hoffenheim match will be telecasted live nationally on DD Sports and locally in Mizoram on ZONET.

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.

TSG 1899 HOFFENHEIM | SQUAD

Goalkeepers
13 Jens Grahl, 28 Alexander Stolz

Defenders
2 Andreas Beck (Captain), 4 Stefan Thesker, 19 David Abraham, 21 Kevin Akpoguma, 25 Niklas Süle, 29 Jannik Vestergaard, 33 Robin Szarka, 36 Jeremy Toljan

Midfielders
8 Eugen Polanski, 10 Roberto Firmino, 11 Jiloan Hamad, 12 Tobias Strobl, 14 Tarik Elyounoussi, 22 Bruno Nazario, Kingsley Schindler

Forwards
27 Anthony Modeste, 40 Joseph Gyau

MIZORAM XI | SQUAD

Goalkeepers
1 J. Vanlalhriata (Mizoram Police FC), 44 Lalawmpuia (Chanmari FC)

Defenders
3 M.S. Dawngzela (Luangmual FC), 4 Zothanpuia (Chanmari FC), 6 Ricky Lallawmawma (Aizawl FC) , 19 Robert Lalthlamuana (East Bengal Club), 24 K. Lalrinzuala (Luangmual FC), 39 Lalruatthara (Chanmari FC)

Midfielders
7 Lalbiakhlua (Mizoram Police FC), 8 David Lalrinmuana (Aizawl FC), 11 H. Lamuankima (Chanmari FC), 17 R. Laldanmawia (Dinthar FC) , 20 Lalrindika Ralte (East Bengal Club), 21 R. Malsawmtluanga (Chanmari FC), 22 V. Laltanpuia (Mizoram Police FC), 23 Laldingngheta (Luangmual FC), 28 Shylo Malsawmtluanga (East Bengal Club), 33 Reuben Zosangpuia (Luangmual FC)

Forwards
10 Jeje Lalpekhlua (Dempo SC), 14 Zico Zoremsanga (Dinthar FC), 16 F. Lalrinpuia (Mizoram Police FC), 47 M.S. Dawngliana (Chanmari FC)

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.