West Indian cricketer Chris Gayle has been in Bangalore for almost a week now and the entire focus of this trip is his newest investment, the IONA, which is a one-stop entertainment and gaming centre in the Garden city.
The West Indian batsman launched it in May this year, and was instantly hooked on to its sport pitches at the top of the roof. He even said that he will be ready for the football turf the next time he’s in town, and will bring his football boots along!
“It’s a great team and I’m really glad to be associated with them. The game was fun when I visited the facility. It was a challenge to play football on the roof. Next time I will be prepared for it, I didn’t bring my football boots this time, I will do it next time around,” said the 36-year-old.
Gayle was initially roped in just as an ambassador for the brand, but he was so impressed by its robotic cinemas, UV lit bowling alley and multi-sport pitches that he decided to invest in its development. As of now, he is now a partner of the brand, and believes that it has the potential to revolutionise the way people experience entertainment in India.
“It is good to be back in India, especially Bangalore. My experience with IONA has been amazing. I decided to take my association with the brand forward and become and integral part of the company, and have decided to invest in it. I have visited the facility and its a fantastic facility. We’re always on our phone. With IONA, we get the chance to come out, interact with others and be active outdoor. We will look to spread this brand in India and outside it as well,” the Jamaican added.
The facility, that is located in the Virginia mall in Bangalore and spread over an area of 1,00,000 square feet, has an interesting virtual reality cricket game. The equipment for the same has been imported from Australia, United States, Turkey and Japan. Gayle was visibly impressed by its robotic theatre, which has introduced in India for the first time.
“IONA in itself is (all about) fun. We wanted someone who represents the fun. He’s adventurous, sporty and fun-loving. Also, he loves Bangalore and Bangalore loves him. Hence, it was a perfect fit for us: the Universe boss became fun ka boss,” said Banu Ramaswamy, the CMD of the Virginia Mall.
“Right now, we’re based in Bangalore, but we plan to expand to other metros as well as tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 cities. We will also look for a presence at railway stations and airports, where people don’t know how to spend their time,” she added.
She also revealed that the arena took 24 months to develop, with 18 months used for its construction followed by a 6-month trial. She lauded Gayle for turning into an investor from an ambassador, which is a testament to how unique the facility is.
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