Indian Super League: Nivia signs 3-year, multi-crore deal to become official ball partner

Indian Super League (ISL) has announced Indian sports goods brand Nivia as official ball partner for 2018-19 season in three year, multi crore deal.

The company, based in Jalandhar, Punjab, has signed a multi-year agreement with Football Sports Development Ltd., to be the official ball partner of the Hero Indian Super League starting season 2018/19.

Under the terms of the agreement, Nivia will supply the official match balls Nivia ‘Ashtang’ to the League and the ten clubs throughout the season.

Nivia Ashtang is a FIFA Pro category approved ball which is the highest quality certification that FIFA can grant on the quality of the ball. The ball has to pass stringent quality parameters in achieving proper bounce, water absorption, roundness, with the final trials occurring at FIFA designated laboratory in Switzerland to get this certification, and to be eligible to be used at the highest level of international matches. This certification is testament to the strictest manufacturing standard upheld at Nivia.

In Sanskrit ‘Asht’ means eight and ‘ang’ means parts – all integrated together to produce maximal results. The ancient Indian practice of Yoga also borrows from this knowledge and offers Ashtang yoga that literally means “eight-limbed yoga,” where each limb signifies the following: Yama (moral codes), Niyama (self-purification and study), Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (sense control), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (absorption into the Universal).

The ball is designed to integrate all the factors of Power, Speed, Accuracy, Control, Stability, Feel,  Cost, and Playability, symbolic of the eight embodiments mentioned above, to get maximum efficiency from every shot. The colour Blue in the ball signifies the sky and its universal appeal, Orange is the colour of joy usually associated with sports, Silver is associated with high-technology and modernity and Black signifies the elegance and strength associated with the product. The White base colour is the universal colour of peace and goodwill, states the official release.

Instead of conventional 32 Panel, the football’s unique design uses just 8 Panels thus reducing the seam length by 23% which in turn reduces the friction during the flight and improves aerodynamics to maintain true flight path. The player can shoot more accurately and precisely.

The lesser number of seams offer lesser space for water uptake thus it helps the ball to maintain its weight in the wettest of the conditions. Less number of panels improve the consistency of movement thus gives better control. Eight panels, instead of 32, offer much larger sweet spot to the players heading the ball.

Rajesh Kharabanda, NIVIA, Managing Director commented, “We are elated to be associated with ISL as the official ball partner. The FIFA Pro categorised Ashtang balls are the newest edition in our professional football product stable and we are confident of upping the game in the highly competitive League environment.

“The association of NIVIA with the ISL is a constructive partnership aimed towards cultivating a strong system of developing football in India and maturing it to International level, a trend that is evident from the performance of U-20 and U-16 Indian teams recently. I would like to thank Inventive Sports for recognising the synergies and facilitating this association.”

Indian Super League spokesperson said, “We are delighted to introduce FIFA Pro certified match balls Nivia Ashtang for Hero Indian Super League. Ashtang has been produced by Nivia with the highest standards and newest technology to maximise performance.”

Nivia also has individual deals as kit partners with ATK, Jamshedpur FC in ISL and I-League club Shillong Lajong. The company since its early days has been closely associated with the grassroots development of football in India and has become an integral part of the glorious history of Santosh Trophy since 1970s.

Nivia has been the official ball of major national and international events in India for last five decades.