After Messi, Ibra... Indian football uses Player Tracking System

In a first of sorts for Indian football, national team implements ‘Player Tracking System’

'The trackers will facilitate injury prevention'

Sports is a science, which only the best utilise to attain global standards. The All India Football Federation is looking in that direction as it looks to improve his standing on the world stage.

In a first of sorts for Indian football, the national team implemented the ‘Player Tracking System’ at its ongoing preparatory camp at the DSK Dream City, the home of DSK Shivajians Football Club, in Pune.

The players wore the GPS system inside their vests, resembling pictures of Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic which had gone viral some weeks back.

The initiative, launched by India coach Stephen Constantine, will be monitored by sports scientist Danny Deigan.

“From now on, we will be using them in every training session, even during matches,” Deigan told www.the-aiff.com.

“FIFA approved them two months ago to be used during the match. It just needs to be approved by the Match Commissioner a day prior to the match,” he added.

Deigan said Australian football has been using the system since the last 14 years.

“Rugby is using it since the last seven years. This is much more reliable than the video systems which have been used.

“From the conditioning point of view it will make drills a lot more specific. I know how to supplement football drills to make sure the players are best prepared for international standard,” he maintained.

Constantine concurred. “The way the game is going at the moment it’s pertinent that you have every possible piece of information in your hand to evaluate the players, both mentally and physically.

 “The game has reached new levels of expertise and now we can monitor the players while they are in training, as to how they do it and how long they do it. It’s invaluable in identifying a player’s capabilities from the physiological point of view,” he said.

‘Workaholic Danny’, as Constantine calls him, says the trackers will facilitate “prevention of injury”.

“The trackers will facilitate injury prevention. We know that we need to condition players so that they are prepared for match conditions.

“It’s also about seeing where the players are at the moment. We can see the maximum speeds which they have attained, their heart rates, speeds at which they work, and understand where they stand at the global level.

“Thirdly, we will use them (the tracking system) to monitor our players, see how they tolerate training load. We will be working with individuals to bring them up to the required standard.”

Constantine, who is toiling to streamline the junior players, said, “The information be will be used with the Under-19s and Under-17s wherever possible.

“I believe in the optimal utilization of resources of staff and equipment.

“I need to thank Mr (Praful) Patel (AIFF president) and Mr (Kaushal) Das (AIFF secretary) for granting me the funds and believing in the concept of taking Indian football to the next level.”

Deigan, who earlier worked with the Institute of Sports in Australia, mentioned that he will get the “results live”.

With the players gaining strides and the momentum increasing, Deigan peeped into his laptop by the side of the pitch.

“Come here,” he waved. “You can see the heart rate of every player, the speed which they are running around and what their averages and totals are for the session.

“Our players cover a lot of distance but it’s not at the same intensity you will see in international football and in higher leagues. That’s something we will be working towards in the camp.”