Thaindian News

Panaji, Sep 14 (IANS) I-League champion football team Churchill Brothers of Goa has signed a three-year endorsement deal with Kunnath Pharmaceuticals, manufacturer of the ayurvedic aphrodisiac Musli Power Xtra.
“Musli Power Xtra will be the title sponsor of the football club for three years starting from the new season of 2009-2010,” said a joint statement issued by Kunnath Pharmaceuticals and club patron Churchill Alemao, the state’s minister for public works development.

“This initiative is to build more authenticity around its core product (Musli Power) promise of energy and power, both of which are integral to the game of football,” the statement added.

While neither the sponsors nor Alemao officially spelt out the deal’s financial details, they informally told the media on the sidelines of a press conference that Churchill Brothers would be paid nearly Rs.3 crore a year.

The two partners shied away from calling the drug an aphrodisiac, both insisting it would merely improve on-field performance, stamina and endurance.

“Most players in the current Churchill squad have consumed and verified the efficacy of Musli Power before the club management actually gave the green signal to this deal,” said Kunnath Pharmaceuticals managing director K.D. Abraham.

“Musli has helped Churchill players to build stamina and endurance over the past few months,” Abraham said in a statement that made no reference to the product as being marketed as an aphrodisiac.

The company’s official literature posted on its website says Musli Power XTra is “formulated from safed musli, widely known as Indian herbal aphrodisiac”, and that the products was a “complete solution for sexual problems”.

“This is one of a kind, potent (product) and extraordinarily effective natural sex enhances and helps to increase libido and sexual desire and works as a powerful male and a female sex stimulant,” the Kunnath Pharmaceuticals websites states, while describing the product.

“Musli Power XTra makes the first night the best night. In the first night if your aim is to rekindle the passion with a long-time lover, performance failure can jeopardize your relationship even further, no matter how understanding she might be. Musli Power XTra makes the husband and wife a real lover,” the website states.

Churchill Alemao in his testimony admitted to having tried Musli power XTra but did not describe the product as being an aphrodisiac.

“I myself have tried this product 10 days back and today I am feeling much better. My paunch, which was sagging, seems to have got a new life,” Alemao told IANS.