Larsing M. Sawyan at the news conference in Shillong on Friday. Telegraph picture

Shillong, Nov. 1: McDowell’s No. 1 Platinum Soda, part of McDowell’s No. 1, the largest beverage franchise in the world, today announced its tie-up with Shillong Lajong FC — a move likely to strengthen the club’s financial status.

Lajong already have Aircel and Adidas as sponsors.

McDowell’s is also the principal sponsor of Calcutta giants Mohun Bagan Athletic Club.

Elaborating on the significance of the latest tie-up, Shillong Lajong managing director-cum-chief executive officer Larsing M. Sawyan said football clubs like Lajong could be sustained only if people continued to lend their support and sponsors fund the teams.

“It has become increasingly difficult to survive in the competition as the standard of football in the I-League has only gone up. It is even more difficult for Northeast teams to survive at the national level as, on the one hand, financial considerations have increased while, on the other, the region is not economically vibrant,” Sawyan, who is also the president of Meghalaya Football Association and vice-president of AIFF, said.

While qualifying for the I-League is a big challenge, the even bigger challenge, he said, was to sustain the country’s premier league.

Thanking the sponsors, he said, “If it was not for these companies, Lajong would not have reached this level.”

Moreover, he said, financial support was imperative to build the team and make it sustainable. “At a later stage, we will give Lajong’s supporters a larger role,” Sawyan added. Though the clubs usually do not disclose their annual budget and income, sources said a club of Lajong’s stature would be spending not less than Rs 10 crore per annum.

The club’s budget has shot up considerably this season with the signing of foreign internationals like Cornell Glen, William Souza Silva and several promising national players.

The first northeastern outfit to figure in the elite I-League with one of the largest fan bases, Shillong Lajong also enjoys financial foreign investment support by Dubai-based Anglian Holdings.

“McDowell’s has a longstanding association with football as the principal sponsor of McDowell Mohun Bagan Athletic Club. Our partnership with Shillong Lajong FC is yet another step forward towards expanding the brand’s association with football,” United Spirits Limited vice-president (marketing) Alokesh Banerjee said.

Sawyan was also of the view that the current league would be the most closely fought league in the nation’s history as until now, the teams are fighting neck-and-neck. Lajong are at present placed sixth in the tally of 13 teams with nine points from seven matches so far, out of which they have won two. Salgaocar SC top the tally with 16 points from equal number of matches.