ISN EXPLORES AI TO DRIVE SPORTS TRANSFORMATION IN MALAYSIA

By Amiril Muttaqien Meketar and Muhammad Zulkarnain Mohd Azman

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- The advancement of sports science, medicine and technology in Malaysia would not be possible without the solid reputation of the National Sports Institute (ISN).

Since its establishment in 2011, the agency under the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) has played a crucial role in developing grassroots athletes to become world-class through its specialised sports science technology services.

Each year, ISN continues to innovate with its expertise to produce more competitive athletes while enhancing its function as a pillar of sports science and medicine excellence in the country.

To address the increasingly challenging dynamics of sports today, ISN is keen to stay ahead and take a further step by adapting artificial intelligence (AI) technology, thus ensuring its relevance in today’s era.

ISN CEO Ahmad Faedzal Md Ramli said ISN is currently developing a pilot project powered by AI application systems through video recordings involving several sports, including diving.

Admitting that current systems and applications for analysing athletes' performance can still be improved, Ahmad Faedzal believes that AI will enable ISN officials and coaches to obtain more detailed and faster analysis.

“Even though the video recordings are thousands of hours long, the AI-powered ISN system can help speed up our analysis process.

“In high-performance sports, every second is crucial, and we believe that implementing AI through live data can positively impact tactics, technical aspects, strategy, and, ultimately outcomes,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama.

For diving, he said that video recordings utilising AI technology assist performance analysts and coaches in monitoring the athletes’ performance, particularly in executing the degree of difficulty, whether during competitions or training sessions.

Besides monitoring athletes’ performance through AI, Ahmad Faedzal said they are also exploring biomechanical technology aspects in track cycling.

This includes the potential of transforming the cycling velodrome into an AI technology lab using sensors and suitable software capable of integrating collected data to analyse the performance of track cyclists.

With the data obtained through AI, he said coaches and support teams could understand athletes' current performance more accurately and quickly.

If their project succeeds, Ahmad Faedzal does not rule out the possibility of expanding it for commercial purposes in the future while continuously observing global trends to ensure Malaysia stays at the forefront of AI technology.

Ahmad Faedzal also envisions Malaysia becoming the sports AI technology hub in Southeast Asia by 2030.

He added  that ISN’s plans align with the government’s efforts to promote AI to the public, raising awareness among Malaysians about the existence of advanced technology in sports.

To keep ISN as a leader in sports technology, Ahmad Faedzal said they remain open to strengthening a Blue Ocean Strategy through partnerships with industry players and local and international universities to enhance the AI ecosystem in sports.

Aware that many external parties are conducting research in sports technology, whether in industry or academia, he is optimistic that joint efforts and innovations will bring new dimensions to athlete preparation programmes, including at the grassroots level and fostering a culture of sports among the people.

-- BERNAMA