MUMBAI: Looks like the swoosh is well on its way to becoming ubiquitous to major team sports in India. Global sports goods giant Nike today signed a seven-year deal as official kit sponsor with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) .

This follows the signing last month of a similar contract with the Indian Cricket Board. Nike won the Indian cricket team official kit sponsorship rights for a whopping Rs 1.9666 billion. The financial details of Nike's deal with the AIFF were however, not disclosed.

For the AIFF, the Nike signing follows a 10-year television rights deal with Zee Sports worth Rs 2.73 billion that was struck last year.

According to the seven year sponsorship agreement with AIFF, in its capacity as the new official sponsor of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories, Nike will provide all the national football teams with the most innovative global football products.

With this deal, India joins an illustrious group of Nike teams, including national teams such as Brazil, Portugal, Mexico, Netherlands to name a few and club giants such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona, Juventus and Inter Milan of the Italian Serie A.

Addressing the media in a press conference, AIFF president Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said he was delighted with the partnership agreement. "Football in India has not realised its potential due to limited support and investment. The new partnership with Nike will bring in cutting edge innovation in apparel and footwear to our players, which we believe will enhance their on-field performance, Dasmunshi further adds.

"We have been keen to have an association with football in India due to our global commitment to the game and the enormous popularity of the sport at a grassroots level. We look forward to working with the team and to creating the best performance products for the players," said Nike India GM Sanjay Mehra.

For Nike, the opportunity and timing is perfect to help the game fulfil its potential in India, points out an official communication. Since Nike and AIFF will be working with a shared sense of purpose and a united vision for Indian Football, this partnership is significantly more than a traditional sponsorship arrangement.

Nike recently launched national team kits for fourteen football nations of which eight have qualified for the forthcoming World Cup in Germany. The new uniforms use the Nike Sphere Dry apparel technology, which draws sweat away from the skin through the fabric to keep players cool, while raised nodes on the underside of the shirt increase airflow over the skin and reduce the amount the shirt clings to the player's body, the release adds.

On cricket, Nike along with Reebok is also the official licensee for apparel merchandise for the BCCI. The deal runs from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2010. Sahara had retained Indian cricket team sponsorship with Rs 3 billion+ bid.