Want To Take Sports Tech To Next Level In India: Royal Challengers Bangalore

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday announced its plans to take sports tech to the next level with the launch of RCB Innovation Lab.

The initiative from RCB will look to generate insights, ideas, methodologies and products that shape the future of sports in India. At the core of this aim is an aspiration to develop adaptable people and leaders, capable of driving performance improvement and excellence on and off the field. 

Majorly based on two principles, RCB intends to bring sports innovation to as many people and to collaborate with innovative organisations.

In a statement, Rajesh Menon, Head & Vice President at Royal Challengers Bangalore said, “With the RCB Innovation Lab, it will be an attempt to take Sports Tech to next level in India. We, as one of the most popular sports teams in India, want to contribute and create meaningful footprints in sports in India which just do not confine to the playing arena alone and we believe if sports has to grow, then all aspects of the sports has to grow as well and we are on that journey with this vision.”

Under the initiative, RCB will work with LEADERS (organiser of global sports communities) through events, communities, and intelligence to connect the most influential people in sports to the most powerful ideas in sports. This is expected to bring the global sports leaders together in India for the first time and discuss and drive the future of sports in South East Asia. Through this initiative they plan to break boundaries; create a platform where sports, business, tech, media and performance meet.

These events are expected to host the biggest names in sports and media together in a single platform from more than 15 countries over an exploratory two-day meet, checking how to tap an ever-growing, vibrant Indian sports market.

Laura McQueen, Managing Director at LEADERS said, “India is an exciting and thriving market with endless opportunity. We’re thrilled to be partnering with the team at RCB to bring Leaders to India to be part of the innovation happening here and showcase this to global sports business and performance executives around the world.”

One of the biggest features of the RCB Innovation Lab is venturing into Sports EdTech, Research & Development for performance enhancement and the setting up of startup accelerator programmes with leading sports and health tech accelerators.

RCB said that it will also establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) backed cricket coaching and talent ID platform, helping to identify and develop RCB stars of the future.

During the event’s press conference, RCB VP Rajesh Menon also mentioned that the franchise would soon make announcements on metaverse and NFTs.

The announcements were made at the IPL team’s 'RCB Unbox' event at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, which saw RCB induct AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle into the team’s Hall of Fame and retire their jerseys AB (17) and Chris Gayle (333). This happened in presence of India and RCB ace cricketer Virat Kohli and RCB Captain Faf du Plessis.

Earlier in the day, Kohli flagged off the first edition of ‘one8 Run’, an initiative to promote fitness in the city of Bangalore. The run saw the participation of over 8,000 people.