Sports Metaverse Challenge invites ideas with application in sports

Thailand’s largest metaverse event of the year will be held from July 14-16 at Royal Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon shopping centre, in Bangkok. The event is being organised by Nation Group, Block Mountain and MetaverseXR. The Sports Metaverse Challenge competition is partly sponsored by Sports Development Fund Foundation.

Nation Group deputy chief executive officer and president of the event, Adisak Limparungpatanakij, said a cash prize of THB235,000 awaits the idea that draws the most number of likes from experts. He added that experts would give valuable advice for other ideas that do not win a reward.

"This competition will encourage the new generation to think about how to use metaverse in sports, as well as enable them to show their ideas and technologies in this activity," he said.

He explained that metaverse has changed rapidly after CEO Mark Zuckerberg changed Facebook to Meta to usher in a new world built in virtual reality.

"As Thailand would not adapt itself to keep up with metaverse trends in time, Nation Group is helping accelerate the change because metaverse is not only creating a virtual world," he added.

Meanwhile, Sports Development Fund Foundation said this competition is in line with the policy to support sport activities, players, competitions and welfare.

"The foundation has seen that the new generation, especially Gen Y and Z, have talent in e-sport," said chairman Preedok Thongwandee.

He said this competition is a good idea as metaverse is directly related to e-sports.
He added that the foundation would continue searching for e-sports-related innovations, as well as world class e-sports competitions, in a bid to develop Thailand's e-sports industry.

"Also, the foundation would invite famous sports players to become ambassadors to encourage the new generation to develop themselves continually," he added.