The Elite Football League of India Mandates Head Impact Sensors for 2014 Unity Bowl
Bethesda, MD (PRWEB) August 14, 2014 -- The Elite Football League of India (EFLI) has mandated the use of Brain Sentry helmet-mounted impact sensors for its 2014 Unity Bowl, scheduled to pit players from India and Pakistan on Saturday, September 20, 2014 in Hyderabad, India.
The Brain Sentry sensors alert when an athlete suffers an unusually rapid – and potentially dangerous – acceleration of the head. The devices, which also help to monitor subconcussive hits, have also been recommended for use by players of all eight teams in the league during the upcoming 2014 season.
The EFLI is gearing up for the start of its second season after a successful inaugural run in 2012-2013. With eight teams currently in the league - five in India, two in Sri Lanka, and one in Pakistan - and an additional eight expansion teams practicing for 2016, plus a growing hunger for sport in India that is not cricket, the EFLI may be on the cusp of an explosion.
EFLI can be seen in nearly 170 million homes in India alone, and will expand American football in much the same way that basketball and Formula 1 racing have now staked a claim in the Indian market. Prominent owners of EFLI include former Green Bay Packers linebacker Brandon Chillar, Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Ditka, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin and former NFL quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Ron Jaworski. Mr. Jaworski is also owner of the Philadelphia Soul in the Arena Football League (AFL) in the U.S. All teams in the AFL also mandate all players to wear Brain Sentry sensors.
American football is becoming increasingly popular on the sub-continent, offering the EFLI an incredible opportunity to get ahead of the game when it comes to monitoring for concussions, and making the league as safe as possible for its players. Brain Sentry sensors will help coaches identify players with techniques that include excessive head/helmet contact. The Brain Sentry Impact Counter Plus is likely to become an essential part of the league.
The Brain Sentry sensor will be an outstanding tool for EFLI coaches, and the Unity Bowl will be an outstanding platform for education with regard to the effective use of the sensors.
Greg Merril, co-founder and CEO of Bethesda, MD-based Brain Sentry, said, “Athletes the world over don't want to be pulled off the field. Not only do they hide symptoms of concussion, they might not even know they have one. As the leadership of EFLI realizes, knowing is critical because many catastrophic brain injuries are the result of second impacts to already concussed athletes. Brain Sentry monitors impacts and helps identify athletes that should be assessed for concussion.”
Sunday Zeller, Founder, Co-CEO, EFLI, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Brain Sentry for their support and contribution to the safety and wellness of our players. It has been a priority for the EFLI from the outset to provide the highest quality equipment and protection to prevent injury and long-term effects of repetitive impact. My thanks to Dr. Ven Movva, EFLI Medical Director for establishing and developing a partnership with Mr. Merril and Brain Sentry. I look forward to use of this cutting-edge technology during the Unity Bowl and beyond.”
Brain Sentry’s sensor estimates direction, peak acceleration, and duration of impacts as experienced at the center (CG) of the head. Brain Sentry’s patent-pending sensor technology includes a micro-electromechanical, tri-axial accelerometer capable of measuring acceleration from any direction. Helmets provide varying levels of impact protection depending on the direction of the hit. Brain Sentry’s proprietary, DAS™ technology (Directionally Adaptive Sensing) provides a consistent alert level – independent of hit direction or helmet type.
Brain Sentry sensors are made in the USA and easily affix to the outside of the helmet (on the back). The product senses head impact and serves as an early warning for possible brain injury.
About Brain Sentry: Brain Sentry has a simple goal: to stop lives from being devastated by sports-related brain injuries. Named a Top Startup of the Year in 2013 by The Wall Street Journal, Brain Sentry is privately held and headquartered in Bethesda, MD. The company was founded by a team of award-winning health-related product developers who have continued to win accolades; the Brain Sentry Impact Sensor was named Best Tech Product of the Year by Baltimore Innovation Week. The official sensor provider for the Arena Football League, Brain Sentry’s initial focus is to provide sensors for the three most popular helmeted contact sports: football, lacrosse, and hockey. Brain Sentry is also developing sensors for biking, alpine, and other helmeted activities. Learn more at http://www.brainsentry.com.
About EFLI: The Elite Football League of India (EFLI) launched in 2012 and currently has eight teams - five in India, two in Sri Lanka, and one in Pakistan. On the cusp of explosive growth, the EFLI recently signed a deal with Ten Sports and can now reach nearly 150 million televisions throughout India. Prominent owners of EFLI include former Green Bay Packers linebacker Brandon Chillar, Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Ditka, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin and former NFL quarterbacks Ron Jaworski and Kurt Warner. Both Ditka and Irvin are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Chillar is of Indian descent. Investors outside of the sports community include American actor and entertainment producer Mark Wahlberg. Learn more at http://www.efli.com.
James A. Boyle, Boyle Public Affairs, +1 571-213-3979, [email protected]
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