Now, track all on-field action without TV

Chennai: So how do you identify talent even from the remotest corners of the country? Chennai-based 'Sports Mechanics' have come out with a new tracking device-that will not only help look for new talent but also aid coaches in training players.

The best of the actions from the sports world would have been lost to us without video capturing and it's precisely this, that's now being put to use in this new tool-that captures every frame of action, tracks every sequence and even gives you information on the angle, line and length of a particular player on field. Chennai-based 'Sports Mechanics' has introduced this technology-to enable coaches to monitor players on field and train them based on the data generated from it.

"What we're recording is a ball-by ball-in this case of the match-description on what's happened-it could be a player's action, it could be the umpire's movements and this data is available for retrieval at any point of time," says S. Shankara Narayanan, Chief Operating Officer, Sports Mechanics.

Video-analysis so far had been done using footage from television broadcast-but the new tool makes it possible to obtain information on individual players, analysing their performance throughout the day. Even the umpire-decisions could be reviewed and bettered using the technology. Also selectors can review any matches happening at any part of the country and come to a decision based on data.

S. Ramakrishnan, Director, Sports Mechanics says, “The technology can help you bring about a change in coaching methodologies. It helps in talent-scouting that is remote monitoring helps in talent scouting.”

According to Ananth Seshan, Director-Board of Directors, Sports Mechanics “Selection or any decision that the coach can come to is supported by valid data. And that data is available as reports, video or the coach's annotation."

The tool could be extended to track players in any sport-and could even be used by players on their own to better their performance.

The new video technology has already found patrons not just in India, but also abroad. And it's hoped that this would help in unifying coaching principles and setting new standards to the game.