Kisumu — Ever wondered why globally renowned football icons like Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Lionel Messi wear GPS vests during training?
Well, the answer to this question is simple. - to track and measure their performance on the field and produce useful data on the same.
Wearing a GPS vest is designed to monitor how the players are working, so players and coaches are able to analyze data such as total distance, top speed, number of sprints, sprint distance, power, load, intensity, and so much more.
And for the first time in history the Chapa Dimba, a national football tournament for boys and girls aged between 16-20 years, introduced state-of-the-art equipment to analyse data for aspiring young budding players.
The man behind the GPS vests better known as Catapult One is none other than IMG Communications Director Charles Gacheru who underscored the need for advancement in sports technology.
Asked what inspired the idea to introduce technology on the evergreen Chapa Dimba ranks, Gacheru remarked: "The idea is to shine a light on the local talent."
Gacheru goes on to explain that they are now able to generate data from Safaricom Chapa Dimba Ntournament whose metrics are globally accepted.
"What we have seen with Tusker FC -who use similar technology -is that players know they have been monitored and when they look at where they have dropped off their mindset changes. Stakeholders including the coach of Harambee Stars have seen the technology and discussions are ongoing."
"Safaricom are actually leading the way; for instance, the Harambee Starlets are on the brink of Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification and should they make it and finish in the top four in the continental event, then they qualify for the World Cup."
"So, we are thinking differently. We are asking ourselves what role can this technology play on these fairytale Starlets' campaign? So those are some of the discussions we are having right now."
Gacheru is overly excited by the fact that the Pamoja bid which handed the three East African countries; Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania the rights to host the AFCON has come to fruition.
"As we envisage a good show on home soil at the 2027 AFCON, the million-dollar question is: How do Harambee Stars prepare for the continental showpiece using technology?"
-Lofty Ambitions-
By and large, Gacheru is happy that sports science is gradually making its way into the African continent, hence lofty ambitions for our young players aspiring to ply their trades overseas.
He is also glad that sports science is taking over the world and no matter what you want to do nowadays, you have to measure it. Africa, and by extension, Kenya are no exceptions.
"For instance, how do you know that you are a good 16- year-old female footballer. If you can measure certain metrics then you can compare yourself and know how you are performing against another girl in Uganda or In South Africa or a girl who plays for Chelsea or another girl playing in other lucrative leagues worldwide," Gacheru continued.
He goes on to explain that people understand it.
"When you look at certain players and their metrics, people understand what it is all about.'
-Who uses this data?
Gacheru goes on to explain: "The data is useful for the coaches who utilise it to bolster players' performance, to train players so you know who is very good in sprints, who is good with their work rate. So as a tactician you will know where to improve."
"Scouts can look at the data and actually know what kind of player he is about to identify with. A player here can be in the losing team but the data tells us tacticians need to look at that player or a team may have lost but they will need to look at that player, by and large."
-University Scholarships-
Gacheru is also excited that through Chapa Dimba, the school going boys and girls can use the data to source for scholarships in overseas Universities.
"Just like academic credentials in University, people judge you with your grade and the same now applies with the GPS vest technology."
As a chairman of a Kenya Premier League club, and when scouting for players technology comes into play.
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"These participants of Chapa Dimba- empowered by Safaricom- can have a football CV of their own and send it to a University in America or to a team in Sweden: some of these participants will have a solid CV when we reach the finals build by data to create information that that's globally acceptable."
"The information generated from Chapa Dimba will definitely be valuable to the players, the teams and scouts. We know nowadays when we are watching F1 and other global sporting events, when we are watching golf, there is data. At the end of all Premier League game players are even given statistics."
Gacheru is glad that the Chapa Dimba initiative will go places given good organization and its newfound facet on technology.
"We have to thank Safaricom for taking the initiative to put together such a great tournament because what this tournament basically does is it gives opportunity for footballers both boys and girls at the grassroots level to come out and be seen to compete for something but the most important thing is for them to showcase their talents."
