The Center of Excellence in Sports Science and Analytics (CESSA) at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has named former ESPN Vice President Ramesh Kumar as its new CEO. He will serve as the organization’s leader in advancing sports technology innovation on a worldwide scale.
With cutting-edge sports technology products and solutions, CESSA, based at IIT Madras, seeks to improve athlete performance and serve general fitness and health customers. Along with increasing fan interaction, the centre will work with sporting federations to create an ecosystem that will serve as an incubator for sports technology start-ups.
CESSA will offer top-notch sports science education courses and coaching goods, backed by interdisciplinary faculty in modelling, data science, wearables, artificial intelligence (AI), and biomechanics. In the upcoming years, the centre intends to work with top academic institutes across the globe to conduct cutting-edge sports science and analytics research.
Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, and the Head of CESSA said, “We are delighted that Ramesh, an industry veteran with a proven track record of impact, will lead CESSA. This aligns with our commitment to be at the forefront of sports tech helping athletes, coaches and all stakeholders.”
Having spent a considerable amount of time with the Tata Group and 24 years in the sports sector, Ramesh Kumar has over thirty years of expertise in the industry. He is currently directing digital innovation for ESPNcricinfo and providing overall strategic leadership for ESPN in India and South Asia.
Outlining his vision, Kumar, said, “I am excited to join the Center and leverage the deep tech knowledge and domain strengths in the fields of AI, ML, data science, IoT/sensors, computer vision technology and bio-mechanical analysis to envision solutions and products for sportspersons, general athletes, media platforms, sports fans, sporting federations and players in the sports education domain.”
The Sports Authority of India, the University of Birmingham, Northwestern University, Inspire Institute of Sports, and the National Center for Sports Science Research are already partners of CESSA.
