Sports technology in the news
In this video, Elise and Harry explain how different types of sports technology matter to different people.
Watch the video and let everyone know the best piece of sports technology that you’ve seen or heard about?
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Join the discussion
To help you answer, look in the news for an example of sports technology used at the recent African Cup of Nations football tournament (AFCON) or at the upcoming Winter Games.
You might want to structure your answer like this:
I think the best piece of sports technology is [name the technology] because [explain why it helps]. This technology was used at AFCON / will be used in the Winter Games, where [describe how it was used]. However, others might think [an alternative opinion].
Make sure you read the comments from other Topical Talkers and reply to someone whose opinion is different from yours.
Comments (15)
I think that the most impactful piece of sports technology is wearable GPS trackers like catapults and heart rate monitors. They are the best due to the ability to provide data-driven insights into performance ,optimise training, and prevent injuries. Athletes today view technology not as a cold replacement for hard work, but as a"silent coach" that understands their bodies better than they can alone like this sensors. Especially athlete in sports like Soccer and American football use GPS trackers and heart rate monitors during matches to monitor speed,distance covered, acceleration and physical exertion levels .Athletes also benefit from equipment innovations developed using Technology such as Aerodynamic fabrics in sports wear to reduce drag. These equipments will ensure the safety ,welfare,and the health of athletes. So, let's grow together by learning and diving into this data-driven Technology and wishing all the athletes to reach their career peak!
I think the best piece of sports technology used in the recent AFCON tournament was the use of interactive displays on large screens. From what I had observed, there were large screens in the Moroccan stadium, in the field and also hanging above. These screens were used to advertise helpful products to viewers. I like the idea because it introduced people to new things they could use for better living like, cooking oils, seasoning and so on. However, others might disagree with this but I look at it from my view that it was the best, and the other tech used were equally awesome!!
I literally support GPS tracker, because to me the safety of the athlete matter most to me, than any other thing, not for the fans to enjoy and risk millions of lives just for the games that kill people or put the lives of young, innocent people at risk.
I agree with Elise, whoever is using the piece of sport equipment will determine which one is most impressive. I for one like the smart watch as it helps one train better, tell you if you are faster or not. In this era of technology, information is power like they say. A smart watch can tell when a player is most vulnerable, when this happens the player can be taken out. Some years back Nigeria lost a footballer on the field, heart attack they said, now imagine if he had a smart watch on, he could have been taken out of play before he collapsed. With the smart watch athletes can feel safe while playing as a lot of injuries and health issues can be avoided.
I agree with you, admirable_technology! I also agree that the smartwatch is very cool because it enables athletes to understand their body better. Being able to track your heart, fatigue, etc., can make a big difference, especially when it has to do with health and safety. With this kind of tech, players can be dismissed before any serious thing happens. Information is power.
Well, you can't exactly wear a smart watch on the field of play. It poses risk to both the wearer and other players around him/her. I think it would be more accurate to say the use of trackers that are small and don't have hard surfaces.
A good example is the Playmaker 2.0 Smart Soccer Tracker, which consists of insoles worn in the boots of the player. This won't harm other players during the course of playing the game.
I believe that a smart stadium is an elite piece of technology in sports because stadiums have been advanced with high security and cameras which ensure free and fair grading and full compliance to established rules through real- time tracking. It also allows live streaming of matches which is really good because without those technologies, people would have to travel long distances just to watch a match, which will be making them spend unnecessary money and could even cost them their lives but now, with the use of technology, you can remain in the comfort of your residence and watch a live match
The Africa cup of nations (AFCON) in 2025 was full of interesting technology. It was made in Morocco and all decided to make the competition fair and full of equity so that technology was added to it. Here are some technology devices that were used in the AFCON.
VAR (Video Assistant Referee).
It was a very efficient device that helped referees make accurate decisions on goals, penalties, red cards and offside decisions. For example, in the final between Senegal and Morocco, the var confirmed to the referee that there was a penalty to Morocco. Actually, it was an accurate and precise decision.
Goal-line Technology.
It is so significant. This system uses high speed cameras that tell if the ball crossed the line or not. Literally, there was no confusing shot in the AFCON 2025 that landed on the line. All the shots were directly shot in the net.
Ella Match Decoder.
This technology device is used to analyze the whole match. It analyzes and reads the on-field movement, tactical patterns and key plays. It helps fans to understand the momentum shifts and defensive structures.
Ella Star Cam.
It captures the fan's reactions in the stadium and makes it more interesting for tv watchers. For example, when Egypt was playing against Senegal in the semifinals and Senegal scored a goal, this cam captured the Egyptian fan's reactions. All of us were sad at this time since we lost.
To conclude, without technology in football, there will be no interest and no justice. Imagine living without technology in sports.
Will there be entertainment?
What do you think and who were you encouraging?
Good comment with loads of details. What was your favourite tech?
I think the 'Digital Twin' that will be used at the upcoming Winter Game would be the best piece of technology and one of the most impressive because it is like a live map that shows exactly where people are getting overly crowded and it would even tell if the snow is melting in some spots. This would really be helpful because the games are happening in different cities and this would help the organizers stay coordinated without having to be in two places at a time.
Another one is the 'Aero-Dynamic Skin Suits' for Speed Skating athletes. They appear smooth, but they actually have tiny bumps on them that would help the athletes slide past the wind faster. This suit helps them win by a tiny 'lightning flash' time.
The most impressive piece of sport technology to me is the technology that help the athletes performances and safety. In football some players use equipment that informs the players that they are about to get injured. This is very impressive and very important because it includes the safety and health of the player. It does not matter if the best player uses it but it matters that everyone who uses is safe. I believe the following people need it the most: young athletes, this will help prevent lifelong injuries since they are just developing. Another group is the older athletes, this will help their recovery time when they are injured and also help their mobility. A third group I believe need it the most are those who participate in extreme sports like rock climbing without ropes, mountain climbing and wave surfing etc. Using the devices might just be the difference between life and death.
I agree with you. You know some years back a player only knows he has health issues when he actually begin to feel the pain but that is no longer the case today, nowadays, sport devices can actually see an injury coming way before the player feels it. Many players actually have devices under their vests that measures how much stress they are under, this can give the coach an idea of when a player needs to take a break for example if a player is going to have a muscle cramp, the coach can decide to tell the player to go rest for like a month. In the past a hard hit can end a player's career but not anymore if the devices are used wisely and players adhere to the recommendation of the doctor or the coach. So now players can now stay healthy, play smarter not just harder, the devices more than ever before help us to under the body better. Some devices can help tell if a player is dehydrated or if the player has a fever. I believe today's technology actually bridges the gap between a professional player and a nonprofessional player.
I think the best piece of sports technology is the technology operation center because it acts like the central brain that keeps the sports running easily and smoothly. In the winter games the technology operation center will be monitoring everything such as real time scoring, broadcasting, network system, timing and cyber security. With the help of AI, it ensures everything is on schedule and record all data and ensuring all systems are working now you might think why don't we get a human to do that and record on paper.
Well, the first reason is reducing the amount of money paid because getting humans means paying to them, so it is extra money along with how expensive running the games is.
Second reason is reducing time and risks because if a human is operating, they will take time, but technology, machines and AI will only take seconds and reduce taking risks because if a human is operating, they might die or get sick, but technology don't.
However, others may think VAR is better because it ensures fairness, but I think that although VAR is important, but the technology operation center is mor more important and effective and gives more efficiency.
To me the best sports technology is the Whoop which checks on cardiovascular fitness, sleep and strain. This technology has been sponsored by Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Alcaraz who are one of the best athletes in the world, this technology monitors the heart rate, has a sleep architecture to guide the athlete if he or she is either over sleeping or under sleeping, and a staggering ability to identify overreaching whereby it analyses your HRV (Heart rate variability) and Recovery score which help to know if the athlete has more strain than recovery for the muscles and alerting the athlete in order to avoid injuries just as Elise said about her smart watch helping her to avoid injuries, this can also be of help to individuals who want to keep fit and not be athletes just like her and enable them prevent strain and still go to work fully energised.
However, others may think that this technology just gives the athletes the formula to successful fitness instead of them finding it, but this helps them to find options to choose from that best suites their body giving them career longevity as they are not easily injured and are properly fit for their different sports.
At the most recent African Cup of Nations, the most impressive minor technological detail was the AI fan experience. During the tournament, Tecno released the AI Technology Carnival, where fans could understand game dynamics on the go, an experience that let them watch live match screenings, interactive games, AI demonstrations, and experiences that let fans explore features tied to this competition in creative ways.
Not a major innovation, but it does answer the question, or should I say debate, on whether sport should prioritize fan experience or accuracy in the sport itself. Thankyou!
I think this is one of the best tech tool used by the just concluding African Cup of Nations(AFCON), is the TECNO AI also known as the Ella Match Decoder. Some may question its relevance but I believe that the fans experience is very essential. The TECNO AI enable fans to analyse, predict, and relive football matches in real-time. This piece of cutting technology, was used by fans for player recognition, to review highlights and replays, and also to view real time tactical analysis. I will really like to see this in the winter games although some may say that this developing technologies may not be accurate in things like match predictions, but it means a lot to me because I could not go to watch the AFCON matches live so I had to rely on the TECNO AI which with that I felt like i was there live.
I think the best piece of sports technology is Semi-automated Offside Technology (SAOT). While it was technically not used in the recent AFCON tournament, it was used back in AFCON 2023 where it was used for the very first time in the tournament's history. Originally introduced in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, it utilized a network of special cameras tracking the limbs of each player as well as the ball. This allowed it to create a 3D model of their positions. If the system was ever suspicious that offside may have occurred then it would flag it to the VAR which would then validate the decision. An example of SAOT technology being used was in the semi-final match between Nigeria and South Africa to disallow a goal.
However, others might think that connected ball technology (Adidas Fussballiebe) is more important as a base. An argument that can be used is that the sensored ball provides the most objective, definitive, best point of contact with absolute precision
I think the best piece of sports technology is AI-powered broadcast and replay systems because they help both officials and fans understand the game better. At the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) this year, broadcasters used advanced camera technology like Spidercam and AI media platforms to deliver more dynamic views and immersive coverage of matches, making it easier for viewers at home to see key plays from different angles.
This type of technology matters because it doesn't just make watching sports more exciting; it also adds clarity to decisions and helps explain important moments to audiences all around the world. For example, increased digital engagement at AFCON shows how technology drives fan interaction and global interest.
The 2026 Winter Games will also use cutting-edge tech, including AI-based broadcast tools like real-time 360-degree replays and tracking systems that give viewers clear, slow-motion views of fast events like curling stones or bobsleigh runs.
However, others might think that technologies used on the field, like goal-line system or VAR in football, are more important, because they directly impact fairness in competition and can prevent controversial decisions; even though their implementation sometimes still faces criticism.
I think the best and most important piece of sports technology is the " photo- finish camera" used in the Winter Olympics, as it is a very crucial and complex device that could very much determine a gold medal from a silver one. This device will certainly be used in the upcoming winter games as it produces thousands of images per second and could narrow down the winners to a thousandth of a second. Not only does it provide incredible assistance for referees, but it also ensures the accuracy and fairness of a competition or race, setting a very detailed and precise scale for winners. The fact that a camera could determine and visualize the destiny of a race is just so fascinating and impressive!
Another extremely important piece of sports technology used in the AFCON, which my country has participated in, is the VAR system ( Video Assistant Referee). This advanced way of tracking movements is a true life- saver as it could analyze and monitor players' movements and actions which could prevent any potential dangers like severe injuries, which in some cases could be fatal. In addition, this technology could also provide referees with extra assistance and guidance in order to release fair and correct descions that could improve the fairness of a match.
But unfortunately, some referees use this device in a wrong way, as some of them could declare descions different from what is shown in the VAR system in order to try to make the opposing team win.
Hi everyone,
Sports technology has helped us in changing how sports are played and watched, cameras and virtual reality make games easier to film and more fun to watch. Athletes and players ,uses special clothing and wearable devices to stay healthy and perform better. Technology also helps more people enjoy sports, including tools for blind fans to follow games. Overall, technology is making sports better, smarter, and more enjoyable for everyone. Technology has made life easier for us to watch sports without strees.