At a time when the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown has hit sportspersons globally, an app launched by a Holland-based techie from Chennai is helping scores of cricket players and coaches to remain in touch with the game.
Ludimos, launched by Madhan Raj, is an online platform which can be used by players to upload videos and receive tips from coaches from any part of the world.
Among the prominent names who are using the app are former South African First-Class cricketer David Nosworthy, who has coached the likes of AB de Villiers, Proteas team video analyst Prasanna Agoram, Mark Coles, former head coach of Pakistan women's cricket team and former Tamil Nadu and Chennai Super Kings player Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan.
Asked what made him come up with Ludimos, Madhan Raj said it was because of the potential of video analysis and the need to learn from the best coaches.
"I used video analysis a lot when my batting form was down a couple of years ago and realised the true potential of it," Madhan Raj, who played at the university level in Chennai, told PTI.
"However, when the number of videos and feedback grew I couldn't manage and structure them making it difficult to track my own progress and development. I came up with the idea of Ludimos after validating that several players and coaches are facing the same problem."
Platform also helps players from associate nations connect with top coaches and get a clarity on technical issues.
"In addition to that, our research showed that the level of cricket and gap between associate nations and major cricket playing nations is very big.
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"Primary reason being lack of access to good coaches in associate countries. To become the best you need to learn from the best and I wanted to connect the best coaches to any aspiring cricketer in the world," he added.
He said all one had to do is to record their training videos using either a smartphone or the web application, adding it would be useful for aspiring cricketers who are not able to attend coaching camps due to the lockdown now.
About the advantages of Ludimos app, he said it could be beneficial for clubs and academies and individual players in its own way.
"Clubs and academies benefit from having player management and video analysis under one platform. In short, clubs can stay innovative, increase player engagement and provide the right tools for their coaches to build winning teams.
"As for an individual looking to improve his/her game, one can now simply hire an online coach from Ludimos and get feedback using our tool," he added.
Madhan Raj said the number of users for the online platform had gone up since the lockdown.
"I can say that number of schools and academies requesting Ludimos trial tripled and number of profile hits of our coaches doubled during this corona lockdown," he added.
On his part, Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan said it was a very useful tool for young cricketers.
"...yes its a very useful tool for young cricketers, it is a very user-friendly app and makes life a lot easier for coaches!" he added.
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