Elite Football League of India Comes to Greensboro, North Carolina
The Navi Mumbai Sabers of the Elite Football League of India (EFLI) are sending key players and head coach to America for football training camp.
If you are not familiar with the Sabers in the United States, you may will be soon. The Sabers are an expansion team of the Elite Football League of India, owned by North Carolina technology executive and entrepreneur Donald Thompson. Thompson built his career betting big, playing aggressively and creating opportunities to win and is using those same principles to build his football club. The Sabers camp will be hosted in the Greensboro area from August 16 – 21, 2015.
Elite Football League of India (EFLI) is a professional American football league based in India. The aim of the league is to introduce American football to the Indian market and its large consumer base. The organization’s management team consists of both US and Indian business and entertainment executives as well as several US sports figures. Owners in EFLI include hall of fame player and coach Mike Ditka, as well as Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner, and actor Mark Wahlberg.
Lids Team Sports Group is the official sponsor of the Sabers training camp for 2015. Lids has sponsored and partnered with the MLB, NBA, and NFL for new initiatives. The apparel giant has identified the Navi Mumbai Sabers as a team with potential to build a strong brand, and the Sabers view the Lids sponsorship as the beginning of a long term relationship. Lee McGrath, LTS-East Sales Representative notes, “We at Lids Team Sports are excited with the opportunity to participate as a sponsor for Navi Mumbai Sabers Football Camp. We look forward to a great relationship for many years to come and watching the EFLI grow into a world class organization.’
Making the trip from Navi Mumbai to Greensboro are head coach and 2014’s Sandy Grossman Award winner for most outstanding offensive lineman in the league, Preetesh Balyaya, Dinesh Kumar, quarterback touted as one of the most talented players in the league, Rohan Indulkar and Sukhraj Singh, wide receiver and defensive back, and Akshay Dave, center and defensive lineman. Hosting training camp on American soil will give the Navi Mumbai Sabers a special opportunity to learn from American coaches who have decades of experience with NCAA and high school football.
The players will be learning and practicing at Guilford College, Reagan High School and Parkland High School over the course of the week. Working with the Sabers coaching staff are Michael Springston, 38 year coaching veteran of high school and NCAA football, and Josh McGee, former quarterback for Winston Salem State University, and current coach for the Reagan High School Raiders. Partnering with this team, the Sabers are positioned to excel in EFLI’s second season which kicks off in October.
When asked about why the Sabers have made such an investment in the team’s preseason preparation, Sabers owner, Donald Thompson replied, “When we joined EFLI, we promised the league that we would build a model franchise. We are committed to building a team that will produce on the field and become a source of pride for players and their families. We decided to bring some of our key players to the U.S. for the training and education required to elevate the understanding of the game and readiness for the upcoming season. It’s a tremendous opportunity for our guys to learn and study under some of the masters of the game.”
About Navi Mumbai Sabers
The Navi Mumbai Sabers will play its inaugural season for EFLI in 2015. The Sabers will be led by Head Coach, Preetesh Balyaya, former EFLI Sandy Grossman Award winner. Elite Football League of India (EFLI) is a professional American football league based in India, whose aim is to introduce American football to the Indian market. The Sabers management team consists of executives that boast NCAA National Championships and over 30 years of American Football experience.
