Most people would think that sports are all just physical games where you must use your strength and strategies, but there is way more to sport than just that. And most of that is technology. Now you may think that it’s just because people want to modernize everything and add their own technologies to sports but the truth is that it actually plays a very important role, in fact technology has been used in sports for centuries, maybe even millenniums.
So, what is it?
When the word technology comes into peoples’ minds, their first thoughts would probably be about things like AI, quantum computers, all these super modern and futuristic things, but technology is way more than that. In fact, even the ancient Greeks used technology in their Olympic games; they used technologies like the hysplex a lot.
- Stopwatches have been used for over 200 years.
- Since the 1880s, photography has been a major part of analysis in sports. One major use was in the 1896 Athens Olympic Games, the first ever modern Olympics
- Radio broadcasting came in the 1920s, followed by television broadcasting from the 1930s to 1950. Electronic timing systems came in the 1960s, then instant replay in the 1960s to 1970s, which is when real time use of technology in sports became common. Computer technology has been widely used since the 1990s.
Examples:
- Athletes wear smart devices that can track real-time data like heart rate, and this also helps prevent injuries, and is used by coaches and players. It is very helpful for fitness training and is easy to use.
- Video technology is used in decision making systems like VAR, DRS and Replay. It makes the decisions more exact but can sometimes slow the game, so video technology is quite controversial.
- Lots of data is collected in sports and this really helps for planning strategies, improves decisions and can even track injuries.
- There is technology for fans too, who want to learn about what is happening in the current game. It also gives a more interactive experience and makes fans feel closer to game.
The Future – Technology with AI:
The future of sports is Artificial Intelligence. It is already used a lot especially in video technology like VAR and AI is redefining traditional concepts of justice and human decision making, resulting in far more reliance on data and objective decision-making processes. The study finds fundamental issues in the practical and economic elements of sports, including the utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI) and strategic planning.
References
https://www.kheljournal.com/archives/2023/vol10issue6/PartC/10-6-1-965.pdf
https://sporteconres.com/index.php/pub/article/view/15
- Neil