Dubai: One of the sponsors of the annual Al Shabab Basketball Championship has backed the likely presence of an Indian team at the event next year.
“We are proud to be sponsoring a sports event other than cricket for the first time in the history of our company. Considering the huge presence of Indians here, I don’t see any reason why we should not be sponsoring a basketball team from India here next year,” Saleem Ansari, Senior General Manager of sponsors Cars Vehicle Testing Centre, told media here on the sidelines of the second Al Shabab Basketball Championship.
“For us, this is a mutually beneficial tournament where we can connect with our customers through a sport like basketball. I would be tempted to think that the crowd participation could be much better if we bring in a team like the Indian Services, Indian Railways or even Bank of India here next year,” Ansari added.
This is the first time that Cars Vehicle Testing Centre has sponsored a sport other than cricket in the UAE. “We view this sponsorship as something much more as we have plans to tie up with a successful club like Al Shabab for other sport such as handball, martial arts and volleyball in the long run,” Ansari promised.
“But among our first priorities would definitely to bring in a team from India for next year’s tournament,” he added.
