‘Kick For A Cause With SUFC’ Returns for Season 2, Uniting Football and Social Impact for the Greater Good

BENGALURU: South United Football Club (SUFC), which plays in Bengaluru’s Super Division, is back with the second season of ‘Kick For A Cause With SUFC’, an NGO Football Tournament that aims to provide a platform for children from underprivileged backgrounds to learn and develop their game. The second edition of the Tournament will see teams from nine NGOs participate across the Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17 categories, at SUFC’s state-of-the-art facility in Ulsoor, Bengaluru, on Saturday, October 19, 2024.

SUFC has always been committed to making a social impact through sports and envisioning a future where football is accessible to everyone regardless of their background. ‘Kick For A Cause With SUFC’ is a part of SUFC’s ‘Football For Change’ initiative, where the Club aims to provide a platform for budding athletes to showcase not only their talent but also foster athleticism, camaraderie, teamwork, and leadership among young players.

In the second season, nine NGOs from Bangalore, including The Freedom Project, Ball For All, Enabling Leadership, Shining Stars Football Club, SoCare Ind, Sparky Football, Reaching Hand, Nakshatra Sports Foundation, and Simply Sport Foundation, will bring their teams to compete for top honours.

The initiative has also received support from a range of partners. Grill N Chill, Kammanahalli will be providing the Food and Beverage arrangements as the Nutrition Partner while Sparsh Hospital will provide medical assistance as the Medical Partner. Sportswear giant PUMA India returns as the Kit Partner with premium goodies for the event.

Pranav Trehan, CEO of South United Football Club, shared his thoughts on the event, “Football has the power to inspire and uplift, and ‘Kick For A Cause With SUFC’ is our way of using that power for positive social impact. By bringing together underprivileged children and offering them a platform to showcase their talent, we are investing in the future of both the sport and the community. This season, we are expanding the competition to three age groups, and the number of participating NGOs has also increased. We look forward to seeing the passion and dedication of these young athletes on full display.”

The Tournament format will feature 7-a-side matches in the Under-13 and Under-15 categories with two 15-minute halves, while the Under-17 category will see 9-a-side matches with two halves of 20 minutes each. The matches will be played in a round-robin and knockout format, with the teams divided into two groups in each category.

The Winners and Runners-up in each category will receive trophies and medals, with outstanding players being awarded special goodies from PUMA India. In addition to this, two Emerging Players from each category will receive a one-year scholarship from South United Football Academy to train at their facility. Through Kick For A Cause, SUFC is reaffirming its commitment to giving back to the community and empowering less fortunate youth by helping them harness their footballing potential.

SUFC’s Foundation, South United Sports Foundation (SUSF), has achieved remarkable success through tournaments like Kick for A Cause and various other community programs and workshops over the years. SUSF has been dedicated to empowering underprivileged children through sport since 2012. By offering structured training that is focused on holistic development, SUSF continues to provide young athletes with the tools they need to succeed both on and off the field.