Football Sensation, Didier Drogba to visit India for Pepsi T20 Football!

The goal machine will coach the winning team of Pepsi T20 Football grassroots tournament
May 2012: You have seen him Change the Game on-field many times on television you have seen him play cricket, football style with Indian cricketers in Pepsis brand new commercial Now you may see him live in action, in India for the very first time. Pepsi, a brand that is known to bring to life Youngistaans passions, will now bring international football sensation, Didier Drogba to India for the grand finale of Pepsi T20 Football. The ace striker of Ivory Coast will visit India in June for Pepsis unique grassroots initiative, Pepsi T20 Football. As part of the four-month mega tournament that is Changing the Game of football across the nation; the final winning team will get a once in a lifetime opportunity to be coached by Didier Drogba, before they face the Indian cricketing stars in a fast paced game of Pepsi T20 Football. With his recent exploit in European football, he has truly Changed the Game. The striker has a reputation of being a high scorer and has been a Pepsi brand ambassador since 2009. Homi Battiwalla, Category Director - Colas, Hydration & Mango Based Beverages, PepsiCo India said, To take the excitement around our grassroots initiative, Pepsi T20 Football to the next level, we are proud to bring one of the worlds most exciting footballer, Didier Drogba to India. His visit is a further testimony to our ultimate objective of popularizing the game of football in the country He further added, The response that weve received for our on-ground initiative has been very encouraging. Over 448 teams have played the 20-minute knock-out matches over the last few weeks. The winning teams across cities are now gearing up for the national finale scheduled to take place on 17th June in New Delhi. Drogbas visit is part of Pepsis first football campaign in the country that was launched by a fun and irreverent TVC starring actor and avid football fan, Ranbir Kapoor, which set the tone for the real action. It was followed by a unique amateur initiative, Pepsi T20 Football. It is a revolutionary new format for youngsters, which combines the excitement and fun of T20 style of playing cricket with the speed, thrill and spirit of football . Organized in a unique metallic cage, the initiative is being organized in major Indian cities including Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai,

Lucknow, Ludhiana and Delhi, with phenomenal response. A total of 8-teams, including 1 winning team from each city and 1 wild card entry will compete to emerge as Game Changers. They will then get the opportunity to be coached by Didier Drogba before they face the Indian Cricket Stars for a game of Pepsi T20 Football at the Grand Finale. The campaign is supported by a 360-degree approach including on-air, outdoor & on-ground initiatives; special edition packaging featuring and digital engagement programmes. For more fun and excitement, log on to Facebook www.facebook.com/PepsiIndia or follow @PepsiCTG on Twitter. About PepsiCo India: PepsiCo entered India in 1989 and has grown to become one of the largest food and beverage businesses in India. With an investment of over $1 billion, PepsiCo India has built an expansive beverage and snack food business supported by 37 beverage bottling plants and 3 food plants. PepsiCo Indias extensive portfolio includes iconic brands like Pepsi, Lays, Kurkure, Tropicana 100%, Gatorade, Quaker, and fast growing brands i.e. Nimbooz and Aliva. PepsiCo India is driven by its global commitment to sustainable growth, Performance with Purpose, which works on four planks of replenishing water, partnering with farmers, waste to wealth and healthy kids. In 2009, PepsiCo India achieved a significant milestone, by becoming the first business to achieve Positive Water Balance in the beverage world. In 2010, PepsiCo India gave back 4 billion liters more water than what it consumed, a fact verified by Deloitte Touch Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd. For more information, please visit www.pepsicoindia.co.in