Telecommunications firm, Airtel, and Samsung Electronics have signed a partnership agreement to support Airtel Rising Stars tournament, an under-17 football that runs in Africa.
Under the multi-million dollar agreement, Samsung will also become the Official Device Partner of the ARS.
Working with various educational institutions in 17 English and French speaking countries, the youth soccer initiative involves over 18,000 teams and more than 400,000 young boys and girls across the continent.
The initiative recorded a 65 per cent growth in participation in 2012 and looks set to grow even larger in this year's edition. It is also supported by two of the biggest soccer clubs in the world – Arsenal and Manchester United – as it aims to identify and nurture future talent in Africa.
Commenting on the partnership, Chief Marketing Officer for Airtel Africa Andre Beyers, said: "The collaboration with Samsung will transcend the commercial arena and enable the Airtel Rising Stars tournament to achieve greater scale and long-term sustainability. The next season, which is now in its third year, starts in April."
