India footballer Sandesh Jhingan signs multi-year deal with Adidas

India's star center-back Sandesh Jhingan has signed a multi-year deal with sportswear giant Adidas.

Jhingan, who represents ATK Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League (ISL), will work closely with the sportswear company in engaging and inspiring the youth to take the game to the next level. A recipient of the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) Emerging Player of the Year award in 2014, Jhingan was named the Men's Player of the Year in 2020-2021. He is also the recipient of the Arjuna Award in 2020 for his contribution to Indian football.

A fan of Manchester United, Jhingan will now join the brand's elite pool of athletes which includes the likes of Lionel Messi, Mo Salah, Paul Pogba, Paulo Dybala to name a few.

The brand also partners with some of the leading football clubs in the world including Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Bayern Munich.

In India, Jhingan joins the likes of Rohit Sharma, Mirabai Chanu, Lovlina Borgohain, Manpreet Singh, Simranjit Kaur, Nikhat Zareen, Jeremy Lalrinnunga who all are associated with Adidas.

Jhingan said, ''My journey with football has been very enriching, and I aspire to make it a far bigger sport in India than it is today. I feel Adidas gets my passion and love for football like no other, given its long-standing relationship with the sport.'' Adidas India's senior director Sunil Gupta said, ''Sandesh is a role model for many young footballers and a perfect combination of passion and talent. ''With this partnership, we aim to inspire the youth and work towards a common goal of building football from the grassroots level in India.''