Remember the Fake IPL Player, who created what is now regarded as one of cricket’s biggest hoaxes during the 2009 IPL season? Well, the man behind it has now made some ‘real’ stuff.
Anupam Mukerji, who revealed his identity in 2010, has co-founded an application called Scoryboard F1, which gives live updates during Formula One races. The application was launched during this year’s Singapore GP, and its updated version will kick-start with this weekend’s Indian GP in New Delhi.
Boasting of a real-time leaderboard, the app updates the latest drivers’ positions, lap timings, constructors’ standings, live Twitter feeds and race highlights among other things. So, if you are stuck in traffic this Sunday and are unable to catch the action on television, the app can keep you updated continuously.
“The Indian GP will be our watershed moment,” Mukerji, who co-founded the app with Madhukar Jha under a company called Pitch Invasion, said. “There are many F1 fans who will not get a chance to get into the Buddh International Circuit for this weekend’s GP or watch it on TV. The app will, in a way, narrate the entire race to them. We started with the Singapore GP and our users have grown over the next three races.”
This first-of-its-kind app for F1 found a sponsor as soon as it was launched, with defending constructors’ champions Renault coming on board.
So how did a man, known for writing an anonymous blog based on nothing but his imagination, move to creating something so technical?
“To be honest, I was surprised too. After my blog and book, I didn’t know what to do. So, I started this out of desperation. I thought of making a product after which I could just relax and make money! Luckily, I had a tech guy who could create anything. So I imagine, and he builds it,” Mukerji said.
The app was created based on a study on how people consume sports, and according to Mukerji, it was an “eye-opener”.
“We realised that the only important part is live sport and people are mostly tuned in when the sport is happening. Thus, there was a need for creating something that gave the consumers fastest information,” he added.
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