After tasting success in cricket, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has now switched his attention to soccer and is in talks with I-League champions Dempo to pick out up stakes within the Goa-based sports club.
Dempo secretary-general Armando Colaco told IANS Friday that Shah Rukh, who owns Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders, has shown interest in picking up stakes within the club and talks are at an initial stage.
“Shah Rukh has shown interest in Dempo. Talks are still happening and it'll take a little time to finalise the deal. The modalities are yet to be worked out,” said Colaco.
Asked if Shah Rukh can be the logo ambassador for the Goan club, Colaco said: “We are still figuring out find out how to use Shah Rukh’s image to spice up the club. Hopefully we can have an ideal deal.”
Dempo, India’s most successful club in recent times, has an annual budget of around Rs.12 crore.
Shah Rukh’s involvement would definitely be a boon for the club. Dempo have won the I-league thrice because it was launched in 2007-08. They've also won the erstwhile National Football League twice in 2004-05 and 2006-07.
Dempo also are the one Indian club to make the semi-finals of the AFC Cup, Asia’s second tier club competition, in 2008.
Over the past couple of years, plenty of celebrities have shown interest in promoting Indian football. In 2009, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) roped in Salman Khan, Shah Rukh’s arch-rival, as brand ambassador.
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and her industrialist husband Raj Kundra, who're co-owners of IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, had also shown interest in playing an active role in Indian football.
Among other IPL owners, Vijay Mallya, who owns Royal Challengers Bangalore, is the manager sponsor of Kolkata giants East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. – IANS
