You and Real Madrid 4 years from virtual oneness

By 2021, Central Hengqin New Area will have an all-age interactive soccer center that will even allow face-to-face greetings with famous football stars.

The 12,000-sq-m venue within Hengqin Novotown Phase II will be constructed and operated under a partnership between Lai Fung Holdings and Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, a world-class organization based in Madrid, Spain.

Peter Lam Kin-ngok, president of Lai Sun Group, a Hong Kong conglomerate, made the announcement on Sept 11 during a press conference in Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Spain, Real's main field.

With Real's expertise and the hi-tech applications of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), the indoor interactive football experience center will welcome visitors to a verisimilar world. Simulations, fun challenges, and other entertainment are to be easily appreciated. 

Rendering of stimulated interactive soccer experience center

Participants can indulge in an immersive world of football encounters, and manage a personalized player profile to keep track of one's training journey. They can also create and own their "behind-the-scenes" training extracts.

The center also will have a museum of Real Madrid history, various mini-game challenges, and other entertainment. Projected are fun-filled and highly participative sports moments for guests of all ages and interests. Food'n beverage outlets and concept retail concessions are also planned, according to a spokesperson.

"We are extremely delighted to partner with Real Madrid, who with their expertise in football training will be able to bring about highly participative and personalized sports entertainment experiences supported by advanced technology. Residents and travelers in Hengqin Zhuhai, Guangdong, and the broader southern China region will surely appreciate this." said John Tse, head of Novotown Project of Lai Sun Group.

"The interactive football center is instrumental to develop the culture of sports entertainment and establish a diversified range of industries to promote the region's tourism economy. It is our aim to nurture a sporting culture, especially in the area of football, among the younger generation," he continued.

Interactive experiences 

Real Madrid is one of the world's most successful football clubs, with the most valuable teams and world-wide supporters. Winning records include 12 Champions League trophies, 33 La Liga titles and many more. It is the club that holds the highest number of titles in both Champions League and La Liga so far.

Immersive experience at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium [Photos courtesy nanfangplus]