The Technology Behind the 2022 World Cup
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is nearing, and it is about to make a statement in the sports technology world. The tournament is based out of several locations in Qatar and is looking to be the most advanced World Cup yet. During the country's bidding process for the tournament, back in 2009, a major concern was related to the weather and climate that could potentially injure players during the match and turn away fans. Qatar was able to present that they had multiple projects in effect to develop a safe environment for the fans, coaches, players, and others a part of the organizations. So what exactly are these technological advancements about to be put in effect for this tournament?
The tournament itself is offering multiple different technical packages and data analysts to coaches and teams. The technology tracks data on players offering real-time data on their speed, agility, distancing, and much more. Each team will be provided with a tablet during the match that will provide live updates on each player on the field and the bench. Using these tablets, not only will coaches be able to tell who is ready to go, but it can also help them prevent pushing a player too far and injuring themselves throughout the long grueling tournament.
Another update comes to the stadium itself. It is the new advanced cooling system, which was specifically designed for the tournament. Qatar is known for its extreme weather patterns, which would be creating a rather harsh environment for the sport to be played in. With the new advanced cooling system in effect, sensors are strategically placed around the stadium depicting the different climates and temperatures. These sensors will be able to sense motion and adjust the temperature throughout the match, keeping it to a lower climate to reduce the risk of injury, heat exhaustion, and dehydration. Fans and players are ultimately in control of the temperature of the stadium with their movement and body heat. With a control room placed in each stadium, they are able to see what section of the bleachers or field needs to be cooled off, or even be heated up a bit. The plan for this stadium did raise a couple concerns while it was being created by Dr. Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani. The biggest concern of the cooling bubble was the environmental risk it may cause to the ecosystems. This concern was later debunked due to the source of energy, solar, that will be used.
The use of this technology is advancing the sport and making it more innovative. Being able to boost the sport and the tournament, with this technology, is making it more enjoyable for fans and teams. Having that control of the environment is just another step to figuring out how to handle fan experience. Making the atmosphere more comfortable for not only the fans, but the players is important as well. Recently teams have been speaking out about the environment and stadiums, expressing how they are not up to the standard of play. With organizations, countries, and tournaments willing to make these technological updates, it fixes the overall experience of the game for all involved.