Dubai: The Emirates American Football League (EAFL) have partnered with financial services giant Deloitte to help grow the game of American football in the UAE.
The initial contract period for Deloitte’s name to appear on all shirts and hoardings is for one year, with an option to extend, but was described as a multi-year agreement by both parties.
The third EAFL season kicked-off on October 24 with several new teams and an average of 76 per cent growth in membership over the past three seasons. But EAFL general manager, Dustin Cherniawski, is hoping the sport can achieve a much more impressive growth rate thanks to Deloitte’s sponsorship.
“As our membership and presence in the Middle East continues to grow, it is important that our organisation is built on a solid foundation - and that includes all aspects of the business,” he said. “However, growing quickly can have its challenges and our resources are often stretched thin which hampers our ability to innovate.
“We are very proud to have an internationally recognised brand with a reputation for award-winning quality and integrity joining the EAFL team as we continue our very ambitious plans of growth and expansion in the Middle East.”
James Babb, of Deloitte Middle East, said: “We at Deloitte pride ourselves on being active members of our communities. So the opportunity to join up with the EAFL to help support their growth and development goals is an exciting decision for us.
“We also recognise that youth development and the advancement of sport are both important goals for the UAE as a country and we believe the EAFL contributes strongly in these areas.”
Anyone interested in playing, coaching, officiating, volunteering or joining the cheer team should register through the website – www.EAFL.ae – or facebook.com/EmiratesAmericanFootballLeague.
