Latest news with #PlayerMaker
Al Etihad
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
UAE University Games on right track with AI
24 Apr 2025 01:11 Kuumar Shyam (Abu Dhabi)The UAE University Games, initiated by the Ministry of Sports, proved not just a much-needed platform for the youth of the country, but showed that the administrators are looking to stay ahead of the curve in the technology by Abu Dhabi Entertainment Company (ADEC), in cooperation with the UAE School and University Sports Federation, the inaugural season drew a total of 1,585 students from 28 universities across the UAE in, competing in seven sporting top achievers may have gone home with medals and trophies, but the real success was achieved by the organisers, who created a platform where talented athletes can develop and showcase their talents, gain exposure and further their to the UAE's innovative way of doing things, multiple agencies and consultants had been enlisted to generate performance-related data for the participants, which will help in analysing the various metrics and even help scouts from around the world assess the talent of the agencies is PlayerMaker, which issued tracker chips to the participants in the crucial stages of the competition, except in the football, which was handled by another contracted company."We have worked in international organisations like FIFA, NBA and even closer here to the UAE with Dubai Sports Council, Al Nasr, etc," said Steve Barratt, Vice President of Sport Performance at PlayerMaker, as he collected the bands with the data chips from the youth players. One band can cost between Dh2,500 to Dh5,000 dirhams, Barratt told Aletihad . In addition, there were artificial intelligence-enabled cameras tracking the action, which, supplemented by the movement data, can help coaches and technical analysts assess performance, while providing talent scouts with valuable data, said Barratt."We as a company collect data on footwork movement, including speed of acceleration and deceleration, direction changes, foot adjustment in response to game scenarios and utilisation of AI cameras to gather technical and session-based statistics."The data collected will help coaches analyse player weaknesses and enhance performance. Thus we cover three very important bases – technical, tactical and physical. Two staff members have specially flown in for this project to help us."Additional scouts from the UK and Europe are involved in observing games and providing insights. Plans are to bring in 12 more scouts for talent profiling across various sports in the next stage."With the combination of physical data collection, video analysis and scout observations completing the process, agencies such as PlayerMaker, says Barratt, will be able to collate the data into reports which the Ministry of Sports can then use."So we have a human resource, computer resource, AI resource. And AI is not just limited to cameras; it's in other fields as well, other domains. The insights that we are providing, you can get that on any grassroot-level player but also you can have it on Champions League players, World Cup winners, Ballon d'Or winners. We have it across the spectrum and work with many national governing bodies," he University of Dubai's basketball coach Issam Termanini was oblivious to the gadgets strapped to his players' shoelaces during the final against University of Sharjah."I have no idea what these are supposed to do [the gadgets were used only for the knockout stages]. We barely had time to prepare because the team travelled to Greece to play in a tournament three weeks ago and now got this great platform to play college basketball for their own university," Termanini UoS team took the lead in the first quarter and Termanini made a strategic switch to get his players to first neutralise the threat of Sharjah's key players before going on to win the title, just as they did in Greece. In addition to the silverware won, the data compiled during the Games will go a long way to launching the international careers of the young players.
Gulf Today
19-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
UAE Ministry of Sports partners with Precision Football, PlayerMaker to unearth talent
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter The UAE Ministry of Sports is pleased to announce two new strategic partnerships with Precision Football and PlayerMaker to strengthen the country's talent identification ecosystem through the UAE School Games & UAE University Games. Organized by the UAE Sports Federation for the Institutions of School and University Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and other partners, the University Games will conclude on Sunday, while the School Games will wrap up their competitions in next May. This initiative marks a significant milestone in the ministry's long-term vision to create a world-class pipeline for prominent athlete identification across the UAE. Under these partnerships, Precision Football will lead scouting operations for football, while PlayerMaker will oversee talent identification across seven other sports. Each provider will operate independently within their respective domain, bring deep expertise and cutting-edge technology to support data-driven scouting and athlete evaluation. The partnerships will be piloted at the upcoming finals of the UAE University Games and UAE School Games. Experienced scouts will provide qualitative evaluation of the potential talents that will be supported by competition video recording and professional wearables to collect quantitative data for further analysis. To further enhance the level of scouting expertise across the UAE sports, the providers will run bespoke educational and practical workshops before the start of the School Games finals. 'The partnerships are a critical step forward in our mission to professionalize the talent development system in the UAE,' said Sheikh Suhail Al Maktoum, Secretary General of the UAE Sports Federation for the Institutions of School and University Education, Chairperson of the UAE Committee for Talent & National Sports Support. 'By working with leading global scouting providers, we are ensuring that young athletes across the country are seen, assessed, and given a pathway to develop their potential through the national sports system.' By partnering with specialized providers, the Ministry is laying the foundation for a modern, data-led approach to scouting. This initiative will not only improve how talent is identified today but also transform how the next generation of athletes is supported and developed across the nation. 'We are truly honoured and excited to partner with the UAE Ministry of Sports on this landmark initiative,' said Sonny Cobbs, Founder and CEO of Precision Football. 'To be recognised as one of the leading development programs in the region is both humbling and a testament to the hard work and passion we bring to developing young athletes, both Male and Female of all ages. At Precision Football, we are proud to be at the forefront of the industry, and we remain deeply committed to nurturing the future stars of tomorrow. 'Through this collaboration, we look forward to playing a key role in shaping the next generation of talent and ensuring long-term success for many years to come.' Steve Barrett, VP of sports performance at PlayerMaker said "We are delighted to be partnering with the Ministry of Sport and look forward to supporting them in their vision to identify talented youth athletes in the region. Our extended team encompassing Olympic champions, national team coaches, scouts and experts in Talent ID, will allow us to provide expert opinion for the ministry." These partnerships mark the starting point of a broader rollout, with plans to expand scouting efforts across academies and other competitive environments ensuring a comprehensive, ecosystem-wide approach to talent identification in the UAE.
Zawya
17-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
The UAE Ministry of Sports joins forces with Precision Football and PlayerMaker
UAE - The UAE Ministry of Sports is pleased to announce two new strategic partnership with Precision Football and PlayerMaker to strengthen the country's talent identification ecosystem through the UAE School Games & UAE University Games, Organized by the UAE Sports Federation for the Institutions of School and University Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and other partners, the University Games will conclude on April 19 and 20, while the School Games will wrap up their competitions in next May. This initiative marks a significant milestone in the Ministry's long-term vision to create a world-class pipeline for prominent athlete identification across the UAE. Under these partnerships, Precision Football will lead scouting operations for football, while PlayerMaker will oversee talent identification across seven other sports. Each provider will operate independently within their respective domain, bring deep expertise and cutting-edge technology to support data-driven scouting and athlete evaluation. The partnerships will be piloted at the upcoming finals of the UAE University Games and UAE School Games. Experienced scouts will provide qualitative evaluation of the potential talents that will be supported by competition video recording and professional wearables to collect quantitative data for further analysis. To further enhance the level of scouting expertise across the UAE sports, the providers will run bespoke educational and practical workshops before the start of the School Games finals. 'The partnerships are a critical step forward in our mission to professionalize the talent development system in the UAE,' said H.E. Sheikh Suhail Al Maktoum, Secretary General of the UAE Sports Federation for the Institutions of School and University Education, Chairperson of the UAE Committee for Talent & National Sports Support. 'By working with leading global scouting providers, we are ensuring that young athletes across the country are seen, assessed, and given a pathway to develop their potential through the national sports system.' By partnering with specialized providers, the Ministry is laying the foundation for a modern, data-led approach to scouting. This initiative will not only improve how talent is identified today but also transform how the next generation of athletes is supported and developed across the nation. 'We are truly honoured and excited to partner with the UAE Ministry of Sports on this landmark initiative,' said Sonny Cobbs, Founder and CEO of Precision Football. 'To be recognised as one of the leading development programs in the region is both humbling and a testament to the hard work and passion we bring to developing young athletes, both Male and Female of all ages. At Precision Football, we are proud to be at the forefront of the industry, and we remain deeply committed to nurturing the future stars of tomorrow. Through this collaboration, we look forward to playing a key role in shaping the next generation of talent and ensuring long-term success for many years to come.' Steve Barrett, VP of sports performance at PlayerMaker said "We are delighted to be partnering with the Ministry of Sport and look forward to supporting them in their vision to identify talented youth athletes in the region. Our extended team encompassing Olympic champions, national team coaches, scouts and experts in Talent ID, will allow us to provide expert opinion for the ministry." These partnerships mark the starting point of a broader rollout, with plans to expand scouting efforts across academies and other competitive environments ensuring a comprehensive, ecosystem-wide approach to talent identification in the UAE. For further information, please contact: Orient Planet Group (OPG) Email: media@ Website:
