The key to unlocking the door to the top

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in training and education of high-performance athletes is not only an inevitable trend, but also a breakthrough solution to help shorten the gap with sports powerhouses in the world and continent.

The key to opening the door to the top - photo 1 — Applying AI to athlete training and education is not only an inevitable trend, but also a breakthrough solution.

AI applications will be deployed in key subjects.

Looking back at the Olympics, SEA Games or Asian Games, it is an undeniable fact that Vietnamese sports are still struggling with the traditional training model, while advanced countries such as China, the US, Japan, Australia... have transformed strongly thanks to the application of modern technology in sports.

In this, AI plays a core role, from collecting and processing competition data, analyzing movements, to predicting performance and preventing injuries.

A prime example is the Chinese 3x3 basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Thanks to a real-time data analysis system based on 3D motion capture technology and AI algorithms, the team defeated championship candidate Serbia with a convincing victory.

Immediately after the match, all data on physical condition, intensity of movement, ball trajectory, etc. were processed and published, helping the coaching staff have a scientific basis to adjust tactics and prepare for the next match.

Such advances make Vietnamese sports people worried. Head of the High Performance Sports Department, Vietnam Sports Administration Hoang Quoc Vinh frankly admitted: “Only when we go to the big arena do we see that our technology is almost zero. At major sporting events such as the Asian Games and the Olympics, the major powers often send a large team of scientists and technologists to help analyze tactics and techniques during the competition. If we do not change, we will be left far behind.”

Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration Nguyen Hong Minh said that under the close direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam Sports Administration is coordinating with partners to apply science and technology and artificial intelligence to training. In the immediate future, after the agreement is signed, the partners will deploy AI applications in training for four key sports: Shooting, Archery, Taekwondo and Boxing, which are sports with the potential to win medals at the SEA Games, Asian Games and Olympics.

The AI application process will help record training sessions and analyze data so that athletes can recognize and adjust each technical movement, such as in Shooting, athletes can adjust from lifting the gun to pulling the trigger...

The application of AI will also help coaches adjust training methods and techniques to suit the physical condition and characteristics of each athlete so that they can exceed their limits and achieve the highest results.

There Can Be No Delay in Applying AI to Sports Training

The key to opening the door to the top - photo 2 — Photo: VAN DUY

On the morning of June 23 in Hanoi , Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong had a working session with the Vietnam Sports Administration, listening to a detailed report on the Cooperation Agreement with DreaMaX Technology Joint Stock Company in applying AI to high-performance sports training.

At the meeting, the Deputy Minister acknowledged the pioneering efforts of the Vietnam Sports Administration in concretizing the spirit of Resolution 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology development and digital transformation. “The implementation of this cooperation is an appropriate and necessary step in the context of high-performance sports entering a period requiring comprehensive innovation. Applying AI is not only a trend but also a top priority for Vietnamese sports to approach international standards,” Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong emphasized.

Assessing the potential of AI applications, the Deputy Minister said that this could create fundamental changes in the training model. From data collection, technical analysis to support in building training plans, AI will help athletes develop comprehensively, while providing coaches with more accurate assessment tools. The Deputy Minister requested relevant units to quickly complete a detailed implementation plan, paying special attention to the assessment of training effectiveness and supporting the selection of athletes for national teams. Within the next 2 months, it is necessary to urgently collect initial data to serve the 33rd SEA Games. At the same time, after each year of implementation, it is necessary to organize a comprehensive assessment for timely adjustments.

Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong emphasized that Vietnamese sports cannot be delayed, AI must become an important tool for us to improve our achievements, reach new levels, sustainably and deeply integrate.

From technology to aspiration

According to the deployment model, AI will serve three main target groups.

Firstly, for management agencies and coaches, the system provides visual data to evaluate investment efficiency, build scientific lesson plans, and calculate performance peaks.

Second, for athletes, quantified technical indicators help them understand their strengths and weaknesses and adjust their personal training methods.

Third, for the public, expanding the application to sports communication and education helps spread the spirit of sports and create a more cohesive and interactive sports-loving community. For example, with Shooting, for many audiences, this is a dry, difficult to understand, and unattractive sport, but if AI technology is applied to analyze each series of shots and each competition for scores, making it easier for audiences to follow and access, it will increase the appeal of this very special sport.

In addition, AI applications do not stop at collecting and analyzing video data, but also aim to integrate biomedical, nutritional, psychological, and injury recovery data, creating a comprehensive and modern training ecosystem.

Sports are no longer simply about muscle strength or competitive spirit. In the digital age, victory increasingly depends on the ability to apply science and technology. With the decisive participation, the support of pioneering technology enterprises and the methodical investment orientation from the management agency, Vietnamese sports are holding in their hands the "golden key" to open the door to reach the top.

No one can claim that AI alone will win the Olympic gold medal. But certainly, without technology, that dream will be far away. More than ever, the application of AI in high-performance sports training is not only a technical story, but also a manifestation of a great vision - a vision of a modern, scientific sport, and the aspiration to reach out to the world with Vietnamese intelligence.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/chia-khoa-mo-ra-canh-cua-vuon-toi-dinh-cao-145830.html