The AMM Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Murugappa Group, and German football institution Borussia Dortmund (BVB) have announced their partnership as the official youth development partner in India. The collaboration will focus on transferring BVB’s expertise in football development, from the grassroots to player development. This includes coaching training, infrastructure improvement and organizational planning.
Since 2015, AMM Foundation has been running the Murugappa Youth Football Academy (MYFA) in Chennai with its goal of empowerment through football. The academy focuses on values such as teamwork, mental health, sportsmanship, leadership and discipline.
A delegation from BVB, including Dr. Suresh Letchmanan (Managing Director Asia Pacific, BVB), Julian Wasserfuhr (Coordinator of Talent Development, BVB Evonik Football Academy Dortmund) and Verena Leidinger (Manager International and New Business APAC) visited MYFA in Chennai this February to hold classrooms and coaching drills with the participating players and coaches.
Benedikt Scholz (Director of Internationalisation & Commercial Partnerships and Managing Director of BVB Evonik Football Academy) said: “Borussia Dortmund’s football heritage and expertise in youth development is sure to help the overall growth of MYFA. This collaboration is sure to benefit the players and coaches by teaching them about skills, discipline, team work and leadership, while striving to enrich lives through football.”
The Murugappa Group is an Indian business conglomerate headquartered in Chennai. It is the holding company for the Murugappa family’s business and is one of the largest conglomerates in India. It was founded in 1900, and consists of 28 companies, three of which are listed in the stock exchange.
Dr. Suresh Letchmanan is the Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Borussia Dortmund. He joined the club in 2016 and has been instrumental in expanding the club’s brand and presence to Asia, including securing partnerships in North Asia, India and ASEAN as well as spearheading club activities in the region.
