Sports Excellence Centre

[projekktor id=’20116′]

Hamilton may soon be getting a new high tech sports centre, thanks to the Pan Am games. Hamilton and Niagara jointly reached out to business operators and officials visiting from other countries who have arrived for the games and gained some investors. Cindy Csordas was at the announcement today.

It may be awkward with these investors and politicians, but the ball they’re kicking could change the way people think about sports. A sensor on it can tell you its trajectory and even how well it is kicked.

“Sports analytics is a growing sector globally the sector is expected to reach the market size of 50 billion in 5 years for professional sports,” says Harjeet Bajaj, an investment consultant.

A new Sports Analytics Centre of Excellence is coming to Hamilton. Brazillian native, Ricardo Sodre says his project 1 Business is attracted to Hamilton because of the Pan Am soccer stadium and Mcmaster’s kinesiology program.

“Canada is one of the best places to start a business because there are a lot of good programs from the government that gives incentives to you to really help the entrepreneur take the company off the ground.”

Sodre’s hoping his device which tracks sport movement will score points with investors. As a startup, his business hasn’t sold any products yet but believes his device could help Hamilton become a sports leader. And the centre has the support of both political and business leaders.

“A sports excellence centre nothing unites people and countries better than sport, sports is the glue that unites people.” says Ron Foxcroft

Investors say a new sports centre will create more jobs, attract more investments, and draw more sports teams to Hamilton and Niagara.

“Sports is big business as well as great entertainment and a healthy activity so if we marry all that together, people want to excel in sports data is the way people will improve in sports,” says Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger.

As to where it will be set up, all investors would say is that a major Hamilton sports venue will soon be identified.