Revolutionising sports with tech
THE sports industry as a whole will have a staggering combined worth of over $US500 billion in 2024. Interest in major sporting events like the UEFA Champions League, Cricket World Cup, Wimbledon, and the Super Bowl continues to increase each year, and there is no doubt that the global sports industry will continue to grow for many years to come.
Technology, like with most other industries, is taking a leading role in sports.
From making state-of-the-art sports equipment to optimising training and strategy, technology gives teams a massive leg-up, something that I believe Fiji needs to quickly adopt to reach the next level.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is once again taking a leading role in the pharmaceutical industry, like many other industries.
AI has been used by the National Football League in the US to evaluate game tapes and enhance player performance. It is being used by Major League Baseball (MLB) to assist teams in making better judgments on player personnel and is being used by the NBA to enhance its scouting procedure.
Fiji could take our sporting teams up several levels by implementing advanced technology like AI to optimise our athletes and our strategies in rugby and other sports.
Coaches who adopt technology could also significantly improve their coaching ability and pave the way for themselves as worldclass coaches in their respective sports.
Data analysis and AI
Statistical data now holds a central position in the sports industry, fundamentally transforming the way teams approach the game.
From meticulously tracking players’ actions, such as distance covered and goal-scoring patterns, to analysing their individual strengths and weaknesses, data analytics have become indispensable tools for strategising and decision-making.
This analytical approach even extends to evaluating referees’ decisions, ensuring teams are aware of what they can get away with in a game.
With the growing prominence and accessibility of AI, data analysis has gone up several notches.
AI algorithms can process vast amounts of data at unprecedented speeds, enabling analysts to extract insights from large and complex datasets more efficiently than ever before.
It can analyse every action that every player on both teams takes and optimise the strategy.
For example, suppose the opposing team’s winger likes to regularly cut inside. In that case, the AI will analyse his technique and where his weaknesses and strengths lie, and the defender marking him can train specifically to neutralise this threat.
It can also analyse specific weaknesses within teams, which can then be fixed with the prescribed training.
Player performance and training
Tracking and improving player performance and health is something AI is already having a significant influence on.
AI technology, combined
with wearable devices, allows athletes to monitor their strain and tear levels in real time, helping them prevent serious injuries.
Coaches can also utilise AI to analyse players’ strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to tailor training programs and game strategies accordingly.
Computer vision, a powerful AI technology, enables motion tracking and detection, colour tracking, and colour and template combination tracking, which aids in assessing player movements and improving performance across various sports, from football to tennis.
AI enhances the evaluation of swimmers’ performance underwater, replacing manual annotation methods with more efficient quantitative assessment techniques.
The integration of AI and machine learning has revolutionised personalised training and diet plans for athletes.
AI algorithms can generate customised meal plans based on individual players’ nutritional needs and schedules, optimising their performance and recovery.
AI-powered fitness apps now utilise real-time human pose detection algorithms to provide personalised workout routines, enhancing athletes’ training experiences and results.
Technology can now tell you exactly what injury you have and track its healing process the whole way.
Scouting and recruitment
Never before has it been easier to identify the perfect player that fits your team or to identify upcoming talent.
AI has completely changed the player recruitment landscape by transforming the way teams find and evaluate talent.
Teams may examine a ton of data to assess players’ abilities, performance indicators, and potential in a variety of game categories by utilising machine learning algorithms.
By using a data-driven approach, teams can find promising players that fit with their team dynamics and strategic goals and make better-informed recruitment decisions.
AI technology makes it possible to compile and analyse data from various sources, such as scouting reports, player statistics, and match film.
By processing these data points, important information about the skills, playing styles, strengths, and shortcomings of the players is extracted.
Teams can evaluate a player’s fit for their squad and project their future performance trajectory by using predictive modelling and advanced analytics. Fiji can’t afford to sleep on this
With the prevalence of AI in sports set to revolutionise player performance, talent scouting, and coaching techniques, Fiji’s sporting industry is positioned for a revolutionary period, provided we quickly adopt and implement technology across our different sports.
This is the next step in sports evolution, and most sports and teams around the world are already implementing AI and other technology to greatly optimise results.
If we sleep on this, we will be left behind.
We need to implement AI technology if we not only want to improve our performance and strategies, but also to even stay competitive in the global arena.
Our athletes are amazing. They are certainly good enough to win competitions such as the Rugby World Cup and Super Rugby, and technology will take us a long way towards these goals.
Our strategists and leaders within various sports must do their part to give our athletes every single competitive advantage that we can to make these dreams a reality.
Technology can help us unlock untapped potential and achieve greater success on the global stage in team sports, athletics, and even as coaches and managers.
Until next week, take care and stay safe!