THE Indian national cricket team has become the latest sporting side to sign up with Newry-based STATSports.
The sports tech company has signed a deal with India cricket’s governing body, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), which will see its GPS performance tracking and analysis technology utilised at the World Cup in England later this month.
The data will help make sure players are prepared for the stresses experienced when sprinting between wickets and in maintaining fitness for fast bowlers during a long day in the field.
The India contract is the latest high profile win for the Northern Ireland firm, whose extensive client list includes the national soccer teams of Brazil, England and Germany, as well as heavyweight clubs Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona and Juventus.
Outside of the beautiful game, STATSports also works with the leading lights in rugby union, the NFL, MLS, NBA and the GAA.
STATSports co-founder & COO, Sean O'Connor welcomed the addition of a leading global sporting brand to the fold.
"Cricket is the most popular sport in the South Asian subcontinent and termed as a religion in India. We are very happy to associate with one of the biggest brands in world cricket. We look forward to supporting India to further on-field success for many years to come," he said.
Jarlath Quinn, chief global strategist for STATSports explained the deal represents the company's first foray into the cricket market.
"Over the years we have served the world's best footballers, rugby and basketball players. With this Indian cricket deal, we have started our own journey in cricket, and we hope this is the start of other fruitful relationships with international and first-class cricketers around the world to help them manage their workloads."
STATSports India representative, Pankaj Wankhede, who worked closely on sealing the deal, added:
“International Cricket has become lot more physically demanding over the years due to tight fixtures. I am happy to see that the Indian cricket team is ahead of the curve by implementing the world’s best wearable device for performance monitoring."
Last month Premier League football stars and England internationals, Raheem Sterling and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were unveiled as outside investors and global ambassadors for the sports analytics company.
The pair have invested at least £1 million each and are two of “multiple” elite athletes, who have invested seven figure sums in the firm, now valued at £200 million.
