The World Cup's Newest AI...

June 21, 2023

Morning everyone, and welcome back to The Sports Road! Dreading the lack of sport happening – well, not happening – in the next few months? Well, we’re here to try and help you out. Bringing you the very best that the sports-tech world has to offer, we’re here to share some of the week's best stories. Enjoy!

Here's what we got for ya today:

  • The World Cup’s Newest AI

  • Become The Next Big Thing…

  • Basketball’s Newest Digital Twin!

  • Tennis: Doing it Right

Most Valuable Sports Teams:

Let's get into it!

FIFA’s Newest AI

While we may have missed that World Cup feeling last summer, guess what’s back!?

Alright, we may have given it away already…

Anyways, for those who may not have caught on, the Women’s World Cup is taking place this Summer; and it’s going to include an AI we have only ever seen used once in International Football.

Beginning in late July, the World Cup is bound to be a great spectacle. With support for the Women’s game at an all time high, the tournament will be receiving more media attention than ever before.

While, in many ways, that’s a good thing, it also – how should we put this – has its shortcomings…

Look, with a deeper online presence comes the darker side of social media. From trolls looking for a laugh, to crazed ‘fans’, levels of abuse have only risen recently.

With all that, you may be wondering why we’re talking about it today. Well, this week, FIFA announced that it will be using a specialised AI – SMPS – during the tournament in an effort to combat online abuse.

To put the issue into perspective, just look at some of the most recent tournaments…

During its use in Qatar for the last World Cup, more than 300,000 comments were hidden or removed, while 306 accounts were actually referred to the authorities!

Being able to scan through millions of posts on all different forms of social media, the software can filter through hateful and abusive messages and censor posts which only do more harm than good.

Look, as fans we all want to see the best performances possible. To do that – as we’re sure everybody can agree – there is no room for hate.

Taking a toll on our favourite sports integrity, the continuation of such online abuse will only worsen things for players, coaches, fans, and everyone associated with the game.

With the inclusion of this AI, hopefully we will all be able to see the beautiful game played at the highest level, uniting players and fans to eventually make for the best experience. We’re sure this isn’t the last we’ll talk about the World Cup this Summer!

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Will You Become Baseball’s Next STAR?

Look, we touched on it last week, but get ready to hear a whole lot more about Baseball…

With the sport being one of only a few in action during the Summer season, in classic fashion, MANY sports fans have flocked towards it.

Come on, you know who you are 😂😂😂 

We don’t blame you though. Not at all. In fact, if there’s ever been a good time to be a casual, it’d probably be now!

With the depth of information, news and technology available to us, being a fan has never been easier.

Whether you’re looking to get better at a sport, or simply just find out more about its rules, history, or players, the possibilities are quite literally endless…

Nothing shows that off more than USA Baseball’s most recent tech-inspired partnership.

Teaming up with Pocket Radar, a firm that specialises in revolutionising speed tracking, anyone and everyone will have access to professional level tech.

Allowing the Baseball federation to further pursue their goal of developing the sport at the grassroots level, the two can team up to better use the technology across the country.

Having the ability to improve skills such as pitching, batting, and more, the technology can also detail areas of a player's game which aren’t as obvious. Monitoring arm health, as well as intensity levels, coaches will be able to achieve a better understanding of a players level.

Being used to track and analyse performance on a deeper level, who’s to say that the next generation of Baseball players won’t be the best yet!

“USA Baseball is extremely excited to begin this partnership with Pocket Radar… We take pride in the development aspect of youth and amateur baseball, and we believe the technology that Pocket Radar provides will allow us to not only enhance the overall experience of our event participants and national team players and coaches, but also provide fans with real-time information to recognise what is unfolding on the field.”

Paul Seiler, USA Baseball Executive Director

J(AI)son Tatum

The Basketball season may have ended, but we’re not done yet…

You do NOT want to miss this one!

That’s right. With the off season being a perfect time for athletes and coaches to get some well deserved rest before entering another gruelling season, it provides certain companies the perfect time frame to create, test, and apply technologies that could be used to change the game forever.

Like we always say, just like tactics and training, sometimes it feels as though technological advancements within sport follow certain trends.

The trend continuously popping up in Basketball right now, you ask? AI Digital Twins.

Yep, buckle up. We’re in for another…

This time being Celtics Forward, Jayson Tatum, in partnership with Movella, this video was released this week:

Digitalising Tatum’s every move on the court, let’s just hope he doesn’t perform like he did during the postseason 😬Uncalled for. Sorry.

Using Movella’s high-level AI which integrates a set of machine-learning sensor fusion algorithms with biomechanical human body modelling data, the motion capture can actually lead to some pretty big breakthroughs in the sports science world.

Creating such a distinguished copy of elite level movement, scientists, analysts, coaches, and others will be able to better gauge what contributes to top professional performance.

Whether it be through training simulators, or looking at how recovery and physiotherapy can be adjusted to combat injury, this could very well change the game forever…

We Need to Talk About: Tennis

I don’t know about you, but the one sport that has surprised us here at The Sports Road has been (can we have a drumroll please 🥁🥁🥁) TENNIS!

Constantly pushing the boundaries of technology, in the last few months alone the sport has used AI to better improve athlete safety, enhance viewer broadcasting experiences, and even announced that – by 2025 – all line judge calls will be replaced by technology…

And guess what? They aren’t stopping there.

Like many, in recent times, the sports fan base has expanded internationally. Holding events all over the globe, it’s fair to say that athletes at the elite level are well-travelled…

Just to name a few, from the Australian Open, to the French Open, to London’s Wimbledon, to the US Open, to compete in the sports’ different Grand Slams, players have to literally go EVERYWHERE!

To put that even further into perspective, hundreds of athletes are currently travelling to over 50 countries in a year to compete…

While offering fans multiple different opportunities to experience elite level sport, the travelling does come at a cost. No, not that cost. Even though it is pretty expensive 😅

With constant travel comes harmful travel emissions. Aiming to create a more sustainable solution, the ATP have joined forces with ‘Carbon Tracker’ to use technology for good.

Being hosted in the ATP PlayerZone app, players will be able to categorise their travel data and estimate their associated emissions.

Offering players a series of questions and quizzes regarding its effects, it is hoped that athletes will be given a better education. To further incentivise good, the app will be offering a ‘green badge’ to reward athletes.

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