Jaipur, October 1, 2007: Rajasthan Cricket Association in association with the Future Group today opened the doors of the spanking new Future Cricket Academy for nurturing global cricketing talent at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium. The RCA’s state-of-the-art Global Centre of Excellence is one of the most modern and well equipped academies in the world dedicated to improving the standards of cricketing talent across the globe and in India. The Future Cricket Academy was inaugurated by Greg Chappel, former Coach of the Indian Cricket Team and Lalit Modi, President Rajasthan Cricket Association.

The inauguration of the Future Cricket Academy at Jaipur marked two very important milestones for the Rajasthan Cricket Association under the leadership of Mr. Lalit Modi. Firstly, it ushered in an era of collaboration with private enterprise with the likes of the Future Group and also marked the return of former Indian cricket coach Greg Chappell into world cricket as an advisory role. Ian Frazer, Team India’s former bio-mechanist, will be the Director in charge of the Future Cricket Academy in Jaipur.

Dedicating the inaugurated academy to the game of cricket globally, Lalit Modi, President Rajasthan Cricket Association, said, “Given the best-in-class global facilities available to cricketers at the Future Cricket Academy and with Greg and Ian at the helm, nurturing global cricketing talent will be the focus. I am certain, that the cricket loving fans the world over will soon start seeing the direct benefits of the Future Cricket Academy in terms of the cricketing talent that will be groomed in its hallowed halls at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.”

The Future Group is one of India’s leading business groups with presence in retail, consumer finance, capital, insurance, retail real estate development, media and logistics. Pantaloons, Central, Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar and Home Town are among the flagship retail chains that the company operates in 45 cities across the country. Commenting on the inauguration of the Future Cricket Academy, Group CEO, Future Group Mr. Kishore Biyani, said, “It is indeed a proud moment for all of us at the Future Group to associate ourselves with this truly world class cricketing facility that has been the brainchild of the Rajasthan Cricket Association. I think the Future Cricket Academy will play a significant role in unearthing new talent and shaping the future of Indian cricket. It has for long been our endeavour to promote sports at the grass roots levels in India and this association with the RCA is a step in that direction.”

Greg Chappell, former Australian Cricketer and former Coach of the Indian Cricket Team was delighted to be back in India and looked forward to working closely with all the coaches and players. Greg added, “I am proud to be involved with the Future Cricket Academy which truly is one of the best cricketing facilities in the world. I look forward to working closely with the academy in identifying and nurturing fresh cricketing talent the world over. As we have seen with the World Cup Winning Twenty20 Team from India, talented cricketers are now breaking through the unknown cricketing centers the likes of Bihar, Kerala and Jharkhand. I am certain we will soon be able to add Rajasthan to that illustrious list of sporting cities now.”

The academy will have five indoor pitches, a full video analysis system and 24 outdoor practice wickets. It will accommodate 70 students and will have a state-of-the-art gymnasium provided by Cybex, the US-based fitness equipment manufacturers, with recreational and eating facilities and electronic data library.

Explaining the content of the programme, Lalit Modi, President RCA said, “The programme designed by Greg and Ian is quite different and we hope that the methods we deploy will change the way we train our future cricketers.” He observed that Chappell and Frazer will provide that extra edge to the operations of the academy. “As part of our vision it was this piece that was missing,” Modi noted, explaining the key role Chappell and Frazer will have in the setup.

Reciprocating these sentiments, Ian Fraser – Director, Future Cricket Academy said, “The chance to be associated with the vision of Lalit Modi and the RCA by adding substance to the wonderful facility that has been built in Jaipur is exciting.”

Chappell and Frazer have co-authored The Making of Champions, a book based on extensive research into talent identification and training methods. “We look forward to introducing some of those methods to cricket in India with our work for the Rajasthan Cricket Association’s Future Cricket Academy,” Chappell said.

Chappell added that he and Ian Frazer would introduce new techniques and methods because “first class and international cricket is becoming demanding for players. Training methods of the past will not be suitable for the player of the future who will need to be fitter, stronger and more resilient, more flexible. Training programmes of and for the future will have to reflect that.”

About Future Group

Future Group is the country’s leading business group that caters to the entire Indian consumption space. It operates through six verticals: Future Retail (encompassing all lines of retail business), Future Capital (financial products and services), Future Brands (all brands owned or managed by group companies), Future Space (management of retail real estate), Future Logistics (management of supply chain and distribution) and Future Media (development and management of retail media spaces).

The group’s flagship company, Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited operates over 5 million square feet through 400 stores in 40 cities. Some of its leading retail formats include, Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, Central, Food Bazaar, Home Town, EZone, Depot, Health & Beauty Malls and online retail format, futurebazaar.com.

Future Group companies include, Indus League Clothing, that owns and retails brands like Indigo Nation and Scullers and Galaxy Entertainment that manages Sports Bar, Brew Bar and Bowling Co. Future Capital Holdings, the group’s financial arm, focusses on asset management and consumer credit. It manages assets worth over $1 billion that are being invested in developing retail real estate and consumer-related brands and hotels.

The group’s joint venture partners include Italian insurance major, Generali, US-based stationary products retailer, Staples and UK-based Lee Cooper and India-based Talwalkar’s, Blue Foods and Liberty Shoes.

Future Group’s vision is to, “deliver Everything, Everywhere, Everytime to Every Indian Consumer in the most profitable manner.” The group considers ‘Indian-ness’ as a core value and its corporate credo is - Rewrite rules, Retain values.

For further information please contact
Mr. Atul Takle
Head - Corporate Communications
Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited
Email: mediarelations@futuregroup.in
Website: www.pantaloonretail.in