Apollo Tyres announced the launch of two new ‘Go The Distance’ pitches in India, in Chennai and Pune. Showcasing its commitment to sustainability, Apollo Tyres have used 100 per cent repurposed rubber from its own tyres, to create the playing surface for the artificial football pitches. In addition to the reuse of discarded/end of life tyres to create these pitches, this will also encourage the next generation of talent to come to the fore.
Apollo Tyres have been working towards a sustainable model to create access to sports and fitness. Approximately one billion end-of-life tyres are generated globally each year, and it is estimated that four billion of such tyres are currently in landfills, and stockpiles around the world. The Apollo Tyres Go the Distance pitches use rubber crumb from old tyres to create multi-sport playing eco-friendly spaces #TyresToTurf.
Speaking at the inauguration, Satish Sharma, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd said, “Apollo Tyres as a company is committed to sustainability. These pitches created using repurposed rubber from our own tyres, are one of the many initiatives that we are taking towards our Sustainability Journey. These Go The Distance pitches have a two-fold objective – towards a sustainable future and ‘access to sports’ for the youth from the local communities, where they can test out and hone their sporting skills.”
Each 160 feet x 90 feet football pitch uses around 1,500 car tyres. The tyres are shredded into usable crumb rubber to layer the pitches. Around 7,500 kilos of crumb rubber is used in a 160 feet x 90 feet football pitch. This helps create a safer ground and enhances the quality of the pitches. The first such ‘Go The Distance’ pitch was opened near the North Stand of the iconic Old Trafford in Manchester, home of Apollo Tyres’ partner Manchester United Football Club.
Apollo Tyres have partnered with HotFut Sports Infrastructure Pvt Ltd to create and manage the these pitches in India. As of now, 11 Venues are operational with 20 Pitches in Manchester (UK), Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Four more venues will be coming up in the next few month in north and east regions of the country.
The creation of such pitches has enabled several integrations like the Apollo Tyres United We Play programme with Manchester United Soccer Schools, Youth Leagues with HotFut, and several other grassroot development initiatives.
Story: Alshin Thomas
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