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The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Monday, September 1, announced that it will establish a dedicated memorial space in Bengaluru to honour the 11 fans who lost their lives in the June 4 stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The tragedy unfolded during celebrations of RCB’s maiden IPL title, when poor crowd management led to panic and chaos.
RCB said the memorial would preserve the “names, stories and spirit” of those who died, serving as a lasting tribute to the passion of its supporters. The site location has not yet been revealed.
The announcement comes under RCB Cares, the franchise’s newly launched social initiative wing, which also unveiled a six-point action plan following criticism over the team’s silence after the incident. While RCB has yet to issue a formal apology, it has pledged Rs 25 lakh in compensation to each victim’s family.
As part of its six-point plan, RCB promised swift, transparent and compassionate support for bereaved families, and committed to working with stadium authorities, sporting bodies and league partners to strengthen crowd safety measures. The franchise also commissioned independent research on crowd safety and announced social development projects in rural Karnataka, beginning with the Siddi community. The Siddi community is a native African tribal community, recognised as a Scheduled Tribe in Karnataka.
The franchise has also said that it would develop a fan-safety audit framework and train its on-ground partners annually in crowd management and emergency response. Beyond the permanent memorial, RCB has committed to creating in-stadium jobs, nurturing local sporting talent, and supporting future sports professionals.