Qatar is now a year away from hosting top teams and global sports legends during the FIFA World Cup 2022, one of the most awaited events in the post-pandemic dawn. The accelerated evolution of AI, blockchain, healthtech and similar innovations which has transformed everyday life, will naturally influence the sporting extravaganza as well.

Qatar is already ramping up its infrastructure with over a thousand electric buses, backed by massive charging facilities, and smart stadiums created by global brand Vodafone. At the same time a startup accelerator programme launched by Qatar Development Bank, has led to development of products including sports collectibles in form of crypto tokens and AI that could measure a player's talent.

One of the 10 firms is Sentio Sports, which helps teams and enhances broadcasting by tracking players in real-time on the field, to analyse their performance. A similar mechanism is offered by Ai Abacus, which uses machine learning to paint an accurate picture of a player's abilities, so that football clubs can make informed purchases during transfer season.

Another app Juego Football creates a database for scouts to discover hidden talent from a list where players in specific cities are ranked and promoted online. Considering increased awareness about personal well being and fitness in the new normal, innovators at StretchSkin have also designed stretchable health sensors that can be stitched into smart sportswear.

These game-changing startups emerged victorious among 3000 firms that arrived from 70 countries, to compete for a shot at acceleration in Qatar. The accelerator called SportsTech has also nurtured products that empower visually impaired people to experience the beautiful game, in addition to a system that issues tickets via blockchain.

Among futuristic sporting solutions to make an appearance at the world cup, FIFA has decided to incorporate a smart referee. The mechanism will use AI and computer vision to take the ball's position, the movement of a player's limbs and algorithms into account, to make 3D models for accurate offside calls.