November 26, 2025 — Leads & Copy —
The World Phygital Community (WPC), the global regulator of phygital sports, has launched its first Advisory Council to guide the long-term strategy and global expansion of phygital sport.
The Advisory Council is a body of international experts assembled to guide the innovation agenda of phygital sport, which is the fusion of physical and digital sporting competition. The council will advise WPC on global policy engagement, commercial opportunities, and frameworks to ensure the sport’s sustainable development worldwide. It will also support the wider cultivation of the phygital sporting ecosystem, including the Games of the Future.
The council has four inaugural members:
Bernt Erik Bjontegard, a former NASA rocket scientist and R&D executive at Qualcomm, founded Spark Compass, a contextual intelligence platform. He has managed partnerships with Apple, IBM, and Samsung, and has more than 50 pending awarded patents.
David Feng Xintao is an expert in international communication and event coordination within global sport. As Protocol, Event and Hospitality Manager at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), he led the planning and delivery of hospitality programs for the Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010, London 2012, and Sochi 2014 Olympic Games.
Francline Fonderson, founder and President of the Cameroon Association for Technology and Cultural Exchange (CATCE), has pioneered programs that merge traditional sport with digital competition. He is respected for his work in bringing together local governments, sponsors, and youth networks to build sustainable pathways for young athletes and gamers across Central and West Africa.
Jorge O’Ryan Schutz is a former professional basketball player who has served as President of Club Deportivo Universidad Catolica, as Chile’s Ambassador to Germany, and as Director General of ProChile.
According to the press release, the council will focus on raising awareness of WPC initiatives, exploring new markets, advising on commercial opportunities, and contributing to the development of regulatory standards. The Advisory Council members will serve a 12-month term. The WPC leadership will meet with the council regularly, and outcomes will be shared publicly to ensure transparency.
Dan Merkley, Chairperson and Managing Director of WPC, said that the council brings together exceptional leaders who understand both the power of sport and the potential of technology.
The Games of the Future is an annual international event that fuses the worlds of physical and digital and is the pinnacle of phygital sport. The Games of the Future 2025 will be held in Abu Dhabi, while the Games of the Future 2026 will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
press@worldphygital.org
Source: World Phygital Community
Source: World Phygital Community
