As part of this initiative, IPL fan ambassadors are also being asked to head their city chapters.
Eklavya Bhattacharjee is a senior manager of a gaming company. Born and brought up in Delhi, Eklavya has been residing in Mumbai for the last five years. But when the IPL was launched three years ago, Eklavya’s loyalties went neither for Delhi Daredevils nor for the Mumbai Indians. Instead he decided to support Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Eklavya is one of many RCB fans, who have taken on the responsibility of increasing the fan base of RCB. Infact the main aim of people like Eklavya is to make a fan base across the country just on the lines of English Premier League clubs.
“I have been a Chelsea supporter since 1990s, though I stay in India. Similarly there are many other based outside England who support the club because of its players,” points out Eklavya.
“In the same way, despite not being a resident of Bangalore, I support RCB because I am a big fan of Rahul Dravid and also in the last couple of years was really impressed by the new generation of cricketers that has don the RCB colours,” he added.
In fact it was Eklavya who recently came up with an idea of offline meet ups to increase the fan base of RCB outside Bangalore.
“When RCB played MI in the semis in Mumbai, I was the only guy amongst my friends who was wearing a RCB jersey, while the rest were obviously in the Blues of MI. But like me there were many other RCB fans scattered around the stadium and I would like to bring them on one platform and make our presence felt collectively when RCB plays in Mumbai next time,” said Eklavya.
Moreover as part of this exercise, fan ambassadors are also being created to head their city chapters. These ambassadors would be responsible for co-ordinating fan meet ups in every city and would also upload updates in social media forums.
Like Eklavya, Purnima Malhotra, a resident of Delhi also decided
to help in increasing the fan base in the NCR region. Infact she is planning to use the social media as a weapon to increase the fan base not only in Delhi but even in the adjoining areas in North India. “IPL is all about city based teams, but for me it’s the character of the team that appeals the most. Even in England, you will find a bunch of Liverpool supporters who are based in Manchester or Birmingham,” said Purnima.
Back in Bangalore, the fans have decided to launch various programmes that would attract more and more people towards the team. “RCB already has a ‘Go Green’ initiative. We would like to use that platform to spread the message that this team believes in cricket with a cause and I think by doing so we will be able to make many more cricket loving people join the cause and at the same time support the RCB brigade,” said Akash Despande from Bangalore.
Even the team management is now planning to support these fans so that wherever RCB goes to play, the cricketers will have people cheering for them. “A team is nothing without its fans and we here at RCB are truly privileged and grateful to have such dedicated and passionate supporters. I am confident that Royal Challengers will be a force to reckon with in all the forthcoming tournaments with the fans from all across the globe cheering for them,” said Siddhartha Mallya, director, Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd.
With the IPL players getting ready to go under the hammers again and a new set of players all set to don the RCB colours, one thing that is not going to change for RCB is its fans. And thanks to these young guns, next time one can also hear loud cheers when an RCB players takes a wicket at the Eden Gardens or Kotla.
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