Apollo Tyres has announced the winners of the second season of United We Play, the on-ground grassroots football competition, in association with Manchester United. The grand finale was held in Chennai. The company said the second season saw an overwhelming response with the participation of more than 5000 budding footballing talent from India. Four young footballers – Chennai’s RS Preyarhanjan, Federick Kurbah from Meghalaya, Chandigarh’s Ronald Singh and Kunal Yeole from Pune – emerged as the winners. 

Manchester United Legends Peter Schmeichel, Nemanja Vidic, Mikael Silvestre, Louis Saha, Quinton Fortune, Wes Brown and Ronny Johnsen, were also present during the finale. 

United We Play is a pan-India initiative by Apollo Tyres and Manchester United to support young footballers in India by giving them a platform to showcase their skills with the objective of motivating aspiring footballers to continue playing, by engaging with them, and introducing them to global training methodologies, the release said. 

The second season of United We Play was launched earlier this year with a virtual interaction with Manchester United legend Dimitar Berbatov.  

The four shortlisted players received an opportunity to visit Old Trafford and participate in activities like a matchday experience, training session with Manchester United Soccer School coaches, and interaction with legends.  

The second season was conducted across 19 markets in India, in a hybrid format comprising 10 virtual workshops and Masterclasses across 12 markets, and an on-ground leg across eight places in two phases. As part of United We Play, Indian coaches also underwent a development programme under the Manchester United Soccer School coaches. Later the first round of trials to shortlist the top players from each market has been conducted. The second phase of trials was conducted by Manchester United Soccer School coaches, and the four winners were subsequently shortlisted. 

Victoria Timpson, CEO of Alliances and Partnerships, Manchester United, said, “Manchester United is proud of its longstanding partnership with Apollo and the continuous work they do to encourage football amongst aspiring young players in India. In its second successful year, the United We Play programme has reached more than five thousand players across India, giving them an opportunity to express their skills and love of the game. It is a delight to see so many talented young footballers participate in Apollo’s United We Play programme and on behalf of everyone at Manchester United I congratulate all the finalists and as well as the final four winners.” 

Rajesh Dahiya, Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Service (India, SAARC & Oceania), Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, “Our grassroots programme for the development of football, is showing some success, as we see good talent emerging from different parts of the country. This season, the selectors have had a tough time choosing the best four out of more than five thousand participants. While the selected ones will have the opportunity to engage with and learn from one of the most iconic clubs in the world, I would also like to compliment the extremely talented kids who couldn’t find a place in the final four.” 

The theme for this edition was ‘Access to Sports’ with the aim of creating access to global standards in player development and engaging the youth via sport even without access to open spaces. (TT)

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Webfleet, Bridgestone’s globally trusted fleet management solution, has earned three prestigious awards across Europe this month. In Germany, its AI-powered tool Fleet Advisor was recognised as the ‘Rising Star’ at the Baugewerbe Produkt des Jahres 2025 awards. Meanwhile, in Poland, Fleet Advisor – which leverages generative AI to deliver swift, insightful answers to critical fleet-related queries – secured the ‘Fleet Derby 2025’ award in the Digital/AI Innovation in Management category.

Additionally, in Spain, Webfleet received the ‘Award for Excellence in the Road Transport Industry’ from Cadena de Suministro, a leading logistics publication, honouring its 25-year legacy of innovation and transformative contributions to the mobility sector. These accolades highlight Webfleet’s continued leadership and technological advancement in fleet management.

Jan-Maarten de Vries, President of Fleet Management Solutions at Bridgestone, said, “Together, these awards highlight the strength of Webfleet’s dual commitment to cutting-edge innovation and customer-driven progress.”

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The 3rd Edition of the Passenger Vehicle Forum (PVF), a leading forum focussing on the passenger vehicle segment, is scheduled to take place on 3 September 2025, at Hyatt Regency, Pune.

This 2025 edition of PVF will focus on a wide area of topics such as – software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and E/E architecture transformation, electrification, hybridisation & future powertrains, connected, autonomous & smart mobility technologies, sustainability, alternative fuel, customer behaviour, retail transformation and aftermarket innovation.

The idea is to understand the present and future trends reshaping the passenger vehicle industry.

The event is expected to bring together over 300 senior decision-makers, more than 60 speakers and over 40 solution providers to debate, discuss and plan the way forward.

Since its debut, the Passenger Vehicle Forum is amongst one of the key platforms that brings together various stakeholders – OEMs, auto component manufacturers, mobility providers and policy influencers, all under one roof.

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Chinese tyre major Linglong Tire was recently recognised as one of the Best Managed Companies in China in an event joint held by Deloitte China, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Business School and the Harvard Business Review.

The tyre maker was recognised for its capabilities in the areas of strategic leadership, operational efficiency, integrated management and sustainable growth at the annual event.

Linglong Tire stated that the Best Managed Companies program is a globally recognised initiative under the guidance of Deloitte is said to be the only international award in China for the comprehensive evaluation of enterprise management systems.

The award in its 7^th year saw potential companies evaluated on the bases of complex management questions, executive interviews and neutral expert assessments based on Deloitte’s global program. The companies were assessed on four criteria – strategy, expertise, commitment and financial strength.

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Hankook Tire Hungary Ltd received the ‘Key Supporter of Saint Pantaleon Hospital’ award during the hospital's Semmelweis Day ceremony in Dunaújváros, Hungary. This recognition highlights the company's longstanding commitment to enhancing local healthcare quality through consistent contributions.

Marking a new tradition, this year's ceremony expanded beyond honouring healthcare workers to acknowledge institutional supporters. Hankook earned this distinction through multiple initiatives, including recent equipment donations for the paediatric ward and installation of a nurse call system in the surgical department. The company's support extends to previous years' projects such as ventilator procurement, maternity ward renovations, and pandemic-related protective equipment donations.

The award coincides with Hungary's annual Healthcare Day celebrations on 1 July, which since 1992 has honoured medical professionals nationwide. By recognising Hankook's sustained community involvement, Saint Pantaleon Hospital underscores the vital role of corporate partnerships in maintaining quality healthcare services.

Dr Örs Szilágyi, Director General of the Saint Pantaleon Hospital, said, “We are very grateful for the help and commitment of Hankook Tire Hungary. We are working together for a joint goal to improve continuously the standard of healthcare and thus create value for local citizen, help them in maintaining their health and in getting better. Hankook’s Corporate Social Responsibility sets an example to all. We are happy to award Hankook Tire Hungary Ltd as the first company with the ’Key Supporter of Saint Pantateon Hospital’ award.

Receiving the award from Dr Szilágyi on behalf of the company, Ho Taek Lim, Managing Director of Hankook Tire's Hungary Plant, said, “We are honoured to receive this recognition from Saint Pantaleon Hospital. At Hankook, we believe in long-term partnerships and consider the health of the people living here, our employees and their families to be our most important investment, which is why we intend to continue supporting local initiatives and institutions in the future.”

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