Perhaps impressed by his affinity to sports and sportsmanship,Kartik Aaryan has been named as the ambassador for the ‘Bundesliga Dream India’ project, which officially kicked off this weekend. He will work with the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and promote the project across his various social media channels which together have more than 44 million followers.

A passionate player and follower of football, Kartik Aaryan, was in Munich last month for Der Klassiker matchup between FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund, where he was seen in a fun interaction with football legends Harry Kane and Thomas Müller. Talking about Bundesliga Dream India, Kartik Aaryan said: “I believe this is what India needs to elevate the level of youth football. I have the same passion and dream for football as the Bundesliga does, and together we want to instill belief into aspiring young footballers and tell them that no dream is too small. We want to provide them with a platform to pursue their passion and chase their dreams”.

Bundesliga International Chief Marketing Officer Peer Naubert said: “We are delighted to welcome Kartik as an ambassador for Bundesliga Dream India. His love for football shone through when he was in Munich, and we believe that with his support, we can elevate the project to new levels. The Bundesliga has long been considered the home for Asian players, and we are excited to work with BigHit, Sony Sports Network, and with Kartik over the next seasons to establish a route for young, talented Indian players to train and play in a Bundesliga academy.”

In collaboration with BigHit, the Bundesliga Dream initiative will select multiple squads from the U-13 and U-15 age groups to travel to Germany for an immersive training camp experience. Over the next one-and-a-half years, six teams across both age groups will be selected to train with and compete against clubs throughout Germany. The project’s long-term aim is to create a pathway for talented Indian footballers to have the opportunity to test themselves in a Bundesliga youth academy set-up.