Top European football clubs have been in India for some time. The growing appetite for the world’s favourite sport in one of the biggest and as yet unexplored sports market is too good an opportunity for established clubs to overlook.
Atletico Madrid were one of the first big clubs to enter the Indian football arena in 2014, becoming a co-owner of the Kolkata franchise in the newly formed Indian Super League (ISL). Thereafter, other European clubs followed with City Football Group acquiring stakes in Mumbai City FC, Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund partnering Hyderabad FC and RB Leipzig teaming up with FC Goa.
The partnerships were mainly in the top tier of Indian football - the ISL. Last week, another international collaborative event materialised in Indian football, with a different area of focus.
In January 2021, Spanish side Sevilla FC entered a five-year partnership deal with FC Bengaluru United (FCBU), who compete in the I-League second division.
It is not a traditional partnership. Sevilla are not setting up a coaching academy in order to capture a slice of the nascent Indian football market. What they are in India for is what the country, and specifically Bengaluru, is known for - technology.
Data and analytics have become the next frontier in sports and the science that goes into team analysis and preparation is already at an industrial scale. With artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) a reality now, it is only natural for that technology to seep into professional sports.
Somebody has to make sense of the numbers that come out of it, which is where the Sevilla-FCBU collaboration comes in.
The top management of Sevilla, including club president Jose Castro Carmona, was in Bengaluru the previous week to kickstart the partnership they had entered last year.
They witnessed the launch of the FC Bengaluru United women’s team, the Sevilla FC India fan club and the Sevilla FC Junior Cup, to help build the game at the grassroots level.
But the most intriguing part of the visit was a data ‘hackathon’. FCBU teamed up with Analytics Vidhya - one of the top hackathon platforms in India - to crunch data provided by Sevilla into useful information that can be implemented at top level football.
Sevilla is a 132-year-old club and have a treasure trove of data. They have an in-house team of data experts with an emphasis on application of AI in scouting and football management.
FCBU are based in the technology and data crunching capital of the world. Through the hackathon - that concluded over the weekend - more than 4,600 technology experts were presented with real-life data from Sevilla and asked to come up with solutions and analysis that can be implemented on the pitch.
The focus of the hackathon - which is hoped to be the first of four or five - was player scouting. A number of scouts analyse particular players over many games and have many stats and data points which are often uploaded on various platforms. To have all of them consolidated at one place and then make an assessment of it was the emphasis of the exercise.
“Technology experts in the hackathon worked on challenges presented by our data department. It’s not for purpose of having fun. We want to extract real value,” Jorge Paradela, Sevilla’s Business General Manager, told The National.
“Challenges presented to them are the real issues we are working on. As an example, transfer valuation, injury prediction and stadium attendance projection.”
It is a process a young club like FC Bengaluru United, which was founded in 2018, is proud to be a part of.
“We want to be at the forefront of data innovation and usage so that we are able to solve certain sports and football related questions in areas of injury prevention, scouting of players,” Gaurav Manchanda, owner of FCBU, stated.
“What we help facilitate is to use Bengaluru as the IT talent hub when it comes to engineers in AI, data analysis, data analytics. And to present these problems to engineers in Bengaluru, India and the global stage.”
The initial results were encouraging. Out of the 4,600 or so participants in the hackathon, around 20 were shortlisted. They will now have one-on-one interactions with Sevilla. They will then have to convince Sevilla of the process and results they come up with and then take it forward.
This was the first of the technological challenges presented to experts. There are more - like injury prediction and stadium attendance - which will hopefully be tacked in future brainstorming sessions, with even more technology experts from top institutes across India.
Another area of interest is fan engagement. For example, knowing which stands fans frequent, what they eat, what they like, how the costs have evolved can be different data points for an analysis into improving interaction with club supporters.
While technology is big part of the partnership, it is not the only aspect. FCBU have big ambitions of their own. They are eager to climb up the ranks, reaching the levels of top-tier clubs in the ISL.
“We want to keep rising up the ranks, have representation at the national stage, which we have already succeeded with one of our players getting called up to the India Under 19 team camp and getting picked to play in Indian Arrows – the developmental team of AIFF [All India Football Federation],“ Manchanda said.
For Sevilla, it is about improving their own understanding of the game and also getting a foothold in the Indian market and expand their brand.
“We see similarities with FCBU,” Sevilla president Castro explained. “We were in the second division 22 years ago. In 16 years we won six Europa Leagues, 20 final appearances, and are consistently in Champions League.
“For us, FCBU is a platform for us to develop our brand in a country where 100 million follow football regularly and 40 million follow La Liga.”
In a data driven world, Sevilla and Bengaluru United have converged on a path that could pave the way forward for Indian football and the sport in future.
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
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'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
UAE SQUAD
Ahmed Raza (Captain), Rohan Mustafa, Jonathan Figy, CP Rizwan, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Usman, Basil Hameed, Zawar Farid, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Zahoor Khan, Darius D'Silva, Chirag Suri
How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
