Interview: British company to thrill sports fans via VR experience at CIFTIS

LONDON, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- British company Rezzil is bringing its latest technology to the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), with its co-founder Andy Etches convinced of making a hit with visitors.

Rezzil, a sports technology company based in Manchester, is one of the British exhibitors at the CIFTIS which is being held in Beijing from Sept. 2 to 6 and features over 200 varied events, including forums, negotiations, and summits.

Etches said in a recent interview with Xinhua that Rezzil will be providing demonstrations of some of its software that allow football players, fans and anybody stopping by, the opportunity to see what it feels like to score a goal in a top stadium.

One of the highlights of the technology is using virtual reality (VR) to enable football enthusiasts to score a goal in the Etihad Stadium, home to Premier League club Manchester City, he said.

"People who try this experience will put a headset on and they'll all of a sudden be transported to a huge football stadium ... they'll see a goal, and they'll have a little game that they can do, that will allow them to experience what it's like to play at the top end of the game," said Etches.

"It's something that we really hope to have a wider audience in China," he said, noting that "the immersive landscape" is growing rapidly in China and its development is faster than in many other places.

Etches said that he'll see "if we can help to grow youth sport, youth engagement, and really grow the talent pool amongst kids in China."

As Britain is the guest country of honor of the 2023 CIFTIS, Etches said, "The opportunity and the platform that we've got by doing this this year is remarkable and I'm sure that it will lead to very positive outcomes for everybody."