Pamplona (EFE).- The Labrit in Pamplona has become the first fronton in the world to have real-time performance analysis technology for pelotaris, following in the footsteps of other sports such as football or basketball.
This technology that inaugurates the Labrit pediment in the world of sports right now is only offered by FIFA in the World Cups, UEFA in the Champions League or the NBA.
Capture of the movements of the pelotaris
The new system, the result of collaboration between the Pamplona City Council, the Navarra Basque Pelota Federation and the Audiovisual Anticontinente company, has been tested this Friday by the pelotaois Ibai Barón, Rubén Ayarra (world champion), Isaac Ciaurriz and Lander Goñi .
The system allows the capture of the movements of the pelotaris, thanks to the installation of fourteen antennas distributed throughout the fronton. These antennas act as receivers and locations for the IMU sensors (Inertial Measurement Units), micro-emitters that are placed on the pelotaris and that allow detailed information about their performance to be captured.
The information collected is received in real time in a powerful server, which analyzes it and returns the analysis of the data of the parameters that are requested at any time.
This technology allows an exhaustive study of the performance of pelotaris, something that until now could only be obtained through visual observation, with the consequent subjective component and the possibility of obtaining imprecise and incomplete data.
It will allow enriching sports broadcasts
The president of the Basque Pelota Federation of Navarre, Javier Conde, told the media that this is “a sport that sometimes seems to be anchored in the past, in history”, and therefore “a technological renewal is very important when it comes to continuing to grow.”
“Equating this system to what is being worked on in the soccer Champions League or the basketball NBA means that it is an important step towards renovation,” he declared.
With the possibility of making use of this technology for free, the Navarra Basque Pelota Federation will be able to work on improving the performance of the players, but also on preventing injuries, since it will be possible to know the physical condition of each pelotari.
The possibility of having statistical data in real time will also allow sports broadcasts to be enriched. In this sense, the new system will give information on the distance traveled, the maximum speed reached in a sprint, the height of a jump or the heat map with the positions of people, among many other data.
Interact with the audience
In the same way, the Navarra Basque Pelota Federation can increase the days of broadcast coverage, interacting with the audience by launching campaigns, debates or voting on its networks around the data captured.
The Councilor for Sports of the Pamplona City Council, Fernando Aranguren, has assured for his part that the facilities of the Labrit pediment are “one of the jewels” of the consistory. “We can boast of having the best fronton in the world and as such we have to improve it”, he said.
In other sports, he commented, “yes, this issue has evolved and we at the City Council have wanted to be the first fronton in the world to have technology like this.”