AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: In New Delhi on Thursday (August 1, 2013) Nike released the new Home and Away kits for the India National Football Team, with Team Captain and Striker Sunil Chhetri, and I-League’s best Midfielder Lenny Rodrigues.

The Indian Football Team will debut the new National Kit in the August 14 International Friendly against Tajikistan.

At the launch, AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das and Nike India Pvt. Ltd. Marketing Director, Avinash Pant also announced and signed the agreement for Nike to remain as the Official Apparel Sponsor of the Indian National Football Team until 2017. Nike will continue to kit all the National Football Team across all age groups in India.

“Through our partnership, Nike has always emphasised on providing our Players with the Best in Class products from across the Globe, and this new Team Kit is a perfect testimony,” Mr. Kushal Das said at the Launch. “We are extremely pleased that Nike will continue as the Official Apparel Sponsor of the Indian Football Team until 2017, and we truly believe that this partnership will grow from strength to strength.”

The Indian Team will represent the Country in a striking new kit that represents an evolution from the previous kit in terms of technology and design. The new jersey, designed with contrasting blue stripes, boasts of advanced technology enhancements and is made with 100 percent recycled polyester.

“At Nike we constantly look at bringing in innovation to help athletes perform better,” said Mr. Avinash Pant, Marketing Director, Nike India Pvt. Ltd. “Over the years, the game has evolved to become faster. The game requires players to be more agile and hence it is our endeavor to provide our athletes with the best products that will give them the competitive edge. Nike is also delighted to extend its partnership with AIFF to be the Official Apparel Sponsor of the India Football Team until 2017.”

Continuing its commitment to establish the House of Football as the ultimate destination for football fans, Nike will retail the new Indian Football Team Jersey exclusively at the House of Football, in Delhi beginning Thursday (August 1).

Nike’s design reflects the latest performance innovation and the most environmentally-friendly kit production to date.

RECYCLED POLYESTER

The Home and Away Kit are made from Nike’s revolutionary recycled polyester, which reflects Nike’s commitment to producing athletic wear with a lower environmental impact. The shirt and shorts of each kit are made from up to 13 recycled plastic water bottles.

This pioneering process in which plastic bottles are melted down in to a yarn that is then spun into recycled polyester reduces energy consumption by up to 30 percent compared to manufacturing polyester.

Since 2010, Nike diverted over 1.1 billion plastic bottles from landfills though the use of recycled polyester.

FABRIC AND NIKE DRI-FIT

Both kits are made of fabric weighing just 145 grams, which is 23 percent lighter than previous Nike kits. It also boasts a 20 percent stronger knit structure and a significantly-improved stretch. The fabric is integrated with Nike Dri-FIT technology, which draws away sweat from the body to keep the athletes cool, dry and focused on their game.

Updated and improved ventilation zones consist of tiny laser-cut holes on the sides of the shirt and the waistband of the shorts. These, along with mesh across the entire back of the shirt, allow air inside the kit for additional comfort and cooling.

FIT AND CONSTRUCTION

This season, the home and away kit have a more athletic and dynamic fit. Nike employed an innovative program of 3D body scanning of some of the world’s leading footballers to produce a design more tailored to the contours of their bodies.