The Indian Express has learnt that following persistent persuasions from Air India’s sports manager Bimal Ghosh and a few top-rung officials from the company, Union Aviation Minister Praful Patel is going to take steps to bring in direct sponsorship for the football team.

Although the Air India top brass is in the dark, reliable sources reckon that reputed US-based aircraft brand Boeing is keen to sponsor the Air India football team’s jersey and logo slots.

Asked about the development, Air India sports manager Bimal Ghosh said that he didn’t know if the concerned deal has matured. “I don’t know whether the deal with Boeing will mature finally. But I am sure of one thing. That is, we will soon get a quality sponsor, because the Union Minister has been taking a keen interest in helping us out in this matter,” he said.

The Mumbai-based football has already gone into an overdrive in its efforts to build the Air India brand name in the sports community by launching its very own fan club a few months back. At Air India’s matches these days at the Cooperage ground, members of the fan club show up in substantial numbers, sporting the club’s jersey at key matches.

The club has also gone as far as setting up screaming advertisement billboards all over Mumbai, particularly during for ongoing I-League.

The Air India club also has plans of proposing to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to allow it to conduct its home matches in the I-League from next year onwards, just like the way FC Kochi used to do successfully in the past.