Tendulkar co-promoted virtual sports venture 'Smaash' launched in Hyd

Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar co-promoted sports entertainment and gaming venture, Smaash Entertainment, made its entry in Hyderabad today.

Located near the upmarket financial district here, the 42,000-sft multi-sports entertainment zone is the third Smaash centre in the country, after Mumbai and Gurgaon.

 

The Smaash centre here boasts of having put in place the world's first 360 degree cricket simulator, a machine that emulates the trajectory of deliveries bowled by cricketers- Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Lasith Malinga and Dale Steyn. It also has virtual Formula One (F1) racing experience and other high definition gaming zone.

Founded by serial entrepreneur Shripal Morakhia, Smaash plans to expand to other cities, including Delhi, Chandigarh, Noida, Ludhiana and Bengaluru.

 

"By October, we planned to expand Smaash to 500,000 sft entertainment experience from the existing 120,000 sft," said Morakhia, who was also the founder of brokerage firm Sharekhan and investment banking venture SSKI before selling them to CitiVenture and IDFC, respectively.

On Tendulkar's investment in Smaash Entertainment, Morakhia said," Sachin is one of the first investors in the company". According to statutory filings made by the company with the government , Tendulkar holds around one-fifth of the company's equity.