Sportobuddy: A Social Network for All Sports Aficionados Date:   Wednesday , October 12, 2016 Champions aren\'t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a vision. ~ said Muhammad Ali. And for such like-minded champions whose thirst for sports never ends, Sportobuddy has created a league of sporting events happening around them. A celebration for the love of game, Sportobuddy is the brainchild of a group of entrepreneurs and sports enthusiasts who kick started the company in November 2015 with an aim to spread the power of sports through a disruptive platform and a plethora of products, services and curated content. \"We believe that sport is the embodiment of the human spirit. Everywhere we travelled, we met people who in some way or the other were connected to sports. Some played competitively while some were amateurs with passion, while others just watched with zeal,\" asserts Sunil Kukadia, Founder of Locobuddy - that brings to you Sportobuddy. Whether a sportsman or a spectator, all believed that sports made them stronger, better and wish they could dedicate more of their time to it. In 2013 alone, Indian sports fans spent 19 hours per week to consume sports, which is gradually increasing. Sportobuddy is all geared up to capture this market where there is a latent desire to discover, book, connect and play. Its online modules include selection of sporting venues, coaching tie-ups and fitness centres that help create social communities for users to discover, connect and play. The flagship service Go-Play enables users to explore, connect, chat and play with like-minded players within their vicinity, apart from setting up their own match and inviting friends and others to play. Additionally, users can also book venues online. \"Simply put, you can now book a match on your favourite turf, link up with friends and be a part of a sporting event based on where you are, all with the tap of a button,\" asserts Sandeep Madhavan, Founder, Locobuddy. Nullifying the Barriers Sports market in India is still highly fragmented and unorganized, demanding a great deal of education and appeal, especially when it comes to developing merchant and vendor connections. Finding a business partner with similar vision was another uphill task for Sportobuddy. To crush these crunches, the startup is developing a trained team of specialists who will constantly engage with its partners who aim at integrating the brand\'s promise with their value proposition, thus creating a wholesome sports experience for athletes and enthusiasts alike. \"Our partners are not just venue owners but other businesses like fitness centres, merchandise stores, coaches and coaching facilities, most of whom are not digitally savvy. With us on board, they are now leveraging the power of digital to maximise their business potential in a big way,\" explains Sunil. But collating authentic market and vendor data is critical and equally tough. Hence, Sportobuddy has put together a team of feet-on-street who are actively pursuing relevant data and also tapping into online databases to bridge data gaps. On the other hand, lack of a single governing body for the industry which confounds governance and admin queries and grievances, plays spoilsports. The scope of the company transcends tech, sports and entertainment which demand it to attract specialists from each domain, making it unviable financially and operationally. To combat this, Sportobuddy has crafted a recruitment strategy to on-board professionals with an array of key skill-sets, thus merging multiple responsibilities into a single person. Taking Competition Positively Sunil perceive rivals as the best growth booster. While there are few players who offers a selection of benefits to the end-users, Sportobuddy leverages the competitive advantage of its holistic product range and experience. Right from information listing to venue booking to videos & blogs to sporting events, coaching and stores, it attempts to integrate sports in daily lives of people using location technology. This comprehensive delivery of value over multiple platforms and touch-points gives the company an edge over others. The sports DNA and single-minded focus give its product a niche yet captive target audience. The absolute support from the investors (Mehul Shah & Hemang Shah) helps Sportobuddy commit to its cause for long-term values, and not short-term gains, thus enabling it to make a difference to the sporting landscape of this country. The handpicked talent pool of 20 shares similar vision and philosophy that of Sportobuddy. This team is building up the next level of its application that tends to become a social network for all sports aficionados. To realise this objective, Sportobuddy has penned plans to implement intelligence algorithm within its the ecosystem, and will divert a large portion of resources towards big data and analytics in the coming days. Investment in sports tourism and offbeat sports careers like refereeing, coaching, certification, e-Commerce, sports management and others have found place in its blueprint, along with capitalizing the Player Rating Engine, an algorithm to help Sportobuddy give weightage to each player\'s skill in his sport. This will allow taking the key value proposition of Sportobuddy to the next level. Key Management: Sunil Kukadia, Founder An innate entrepreneur with over twenty three years of experience in Technology, Operations and Business Development, Sunil is a thought-leader who always stays ahead of the curve. Having worked in multiple international markets delivering large and diverse projects, his biggest talent lies in the commitment to align technology with business needs. Today, he lives to make the world around him more active while running a business with unwavering passion. Always optimistic and forever young, he inspires those around him to dream more, learn more and do more. Sandeep Madhavan, Founder A competent entrepreneur and technology professional with over 20 years of qualitative sales, marketing and management experience along with a keen understanding of Cross Border Deals having worked in fully developed as well as emerging markets. He is known for his cut and clarity and priceless to people around him. A tech-warrior and sales genius, you can trust him to conjure a solution to any problem. A keen sportsman who never leaves an opportunity to play an aggressive game of footy or squash. Best known for his quick wit, his compelling vision is infectious to his peers and juniors alike. Office: Mumbai Offerings: Outdoor Sports, Indoor Sports, Adventure Sports & Fitness