NODWIN Gaming forays into mainstream sports; ropes in ex-Adidas lead Gurbaksh Virdi
This vertical will conceptualise and scale modern sports and active fitness competitions, cultivate mass-participation lifestyle properties, and collaborate with federations, governing bodies, rights holders and brands.
NODWIN Gaming has forayed into mainstream sports with the launch of a dedicated vertical, 'NODWIN Sports', and appointed ex-Adidas executive Gurbaksh Singh Virdi to lead the new division.
This vertical will conceptualise and scale modern sports and active fitness competitions, cultivate mass-participation lifestyle properties, and collaborate with federations, governing bodies, rights holders and brands.
Its operations will span four primary domains: developing new-age sports and mass-participation intellectual properties, sports advisory and governing body engagement, strategic partnerships and commercial alliances, and white-label execution and operations.
“Sport has always had the ability to bring people together at scale, and the way audiences experience sport is changing rapidly. We see an opportunity to build properties that reflect how younger audiences participate, compete, follow and engage with sport today. NODWIN Sports gives us a dedicated platform to work with sporting institutions, athletes, brands and partners to build those opportunities," Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, said.
He added that Virdi brings a combination of sports marketing experience and IP-building expertise to lead the new venture.
Before joining NODWIN Gaming, Virdi served as the Sports Marketing Lead at Adidas India, where he led the sports marketing vertical across cricket, running, training, football and motorsport, working across partnerships with the BCCI and the Indian Olympic Association. His career includes stints at Red Bull, U Sports, Puma, and talent management agency Cornerstone.
“India’s sports landscape is entering an important phase of evolution, shaped by a new generation of audiences who are experiencing sport across competition, participation, entertainment, content and culture…The ambition is not only to create new opportunities for participation, but to help build the culture around sport for the next decade, one that is more accessible, engaging, contemporary and connected to youth culture,” Virdi said.
Founded in 2014 by Akshat Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN Gaming counts Nazara Technologies, Krafton Inc, Sony Group Corporation and JetSynthesys among its key investors.