Cutting-edge virtual reality technology, allowing soccer clubs to return players to match situations and for the injured to get “match sharp,” is being tested and used by top English and European clubs.
The technology, developed by Manchester-based company Mi Hiepa, is being employed by four Premier League clubs, and teams in Italy and Germany are also trialing the platform.
For contractual and confidentiality reasons, the clubs cannot be identified, but they include some of the biggest in the Premier League and Europe.
“We believe this is a revolutionary product that will help players come back from injury sooner, help players be more cognitively aware, help better decisionmaking on the field and prepare them for pressure situations during games,” Mi Hiepa sporting director Andy Etches said.
The system allows a club to input their existing match data to recreate game situations which a player can then “re-enter” when they put on the headset, with two small, light devices attached to their boots and shin pads.
The platform also features a series of drills which allow players to practice their skills, such as passing, and develop their reactions and decisionmaking abilities.
That could be particularly valuable to players returning from injury who would be able to sharpen themselves up to match speed without the risk of physical contact.
“We can do a range of no impact, low load, rehabilitation movements, where you have players going through the typical muscle memory rebuilding. We fire in all the neural pathways between the brain and the foot to ensure that the player is staying sharp during the period of recovery,” Etches said.
“It is reaction time that is lost typically and we ought to be able to limit that through daily interaction. We have been told that the loss of reaction time can be 60 percent during recovery and we believe that we eliminate that or drastically reduce that by putting players back into match situations,” he added.
While designed for use by elite clubs, the platform developed by a team headed by Mi Hiepa development director Adam Dickinson, who previously worked for EA, the company behind the popular FIFA video game, could be scaled for individual players at home.
Mike Phelan, former assistant to ex-Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and a former player of the club, has used the platform and, through the Burnley-based company Sensible Soccer, of which he is chairman, is among those with distribution deals for the product.
One element that coaches find useful is being able to view situations from the player’s perspective, Phelan said.
“It is interesting to be able to be the player. As a coach we talk to players and show them things, but with this the coach can actually be involved in the scenarios that the players encounter,” he said.
As well as “replaying” situations, the platform allows for preparation for possible scenarios.
“You can program the platform to show you a game, a certain situation or a certain player and then live it,” Phelan said.
While managers are used to dealing with sports science, analytics and other technological developments, Phelan believes virtual reality could become established as part of the mix.
“You could use it at academy level, use it with injuries, use it with senior elite football players,” he said.
“There are gains to be made in football, be that individually or collectively. We know the market today in football: Everyone wants that little bit more, to be a little bit different and there is an opportunity with this system to develop something, create something and get the reward at the end,” he added.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care