Page 49 - IMDR Journal 2025

Research Article
DEEP TECH IN SPORTS MAKING SPORTS
ACCESSIBLE FOR VISUALLY CHALLENGED
PLAYERS

1
2
2
Mercy Fernandez , Aniket Dilip Bhujbal , Radhika Dipak Mantri ,
2
2
Pranav Bhupesh Lakhe , Gargi Dilip Jaunjal , Vrushali Limaye 2
ABSTRACT
This study explores how developments in deep technology can increase sports accessibility for visually impaired players.
Following the review of available literature on standalone technologies, the paper identifies obstacles hindering athletes with
visual impairments from competing and performing at greater levels and map out innovative solutions that overcome these
deficits.
The research demonstrates that visually impaired athletes are able to achieve their independence and safety through sports
equipment or wearable technology with incorporated sensors and AI navigators. This research tries to address the challenges
of visually challenged players by taking the case studies of players from Fergusson College, Pune . It demonstrates the need
for embracing a deep collaborative strategy for developing distinctive digital solutions for sports in favor of inclusion and
diversity.
The paper highlights various types of devices that use diverse technologies to augment sports training for sports. The list of
devices and technologies is extensive, describing their usage, benefits, and effects on players. The paper tries to create
awareness among visually challenged individuals and urges them to play the sport of their choice by using the deep tech that is
available.
The necessary recommendations are given to the concern for the advancement in technology for visually challenged players to
play sports. This initiative aims to learn about current technology and how it can be adapted by visually impaired sportspeople.
The research aims to create awareness and encourage the uptake of these solutions to make the sporting experience more
inclusive for the visually impaired.
KEYWORDS Visually Challenged, Sports, Deeptech

INTRODUCTION There have been significant developments in the field of
Visually challenge prevention, management, and control
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of
since the “Vision 2020: The right to sight” initiative by Rao,
international multisport events involving athletes with a
G. N. (2000) has been implemented over the last two
range of disabilities. There are Winter and Summer decades. Deep technology or deep tech refers to advanced
Paralympic Games, which, since the 1988 Summer technologies based on some form of substantial scientific or
Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, have been held shortly engineering innovation. The innovations are "deep" in a
after the corresponding Olympic Games.There are an sense that they are sophisticated, very advanced to complex
estimated 4.95 million people blind (0.36% of the total challenges or issues. Examples of deep-tech breakthroughs
population), 35 million people visually impaired (2.55%), include genomics, robotics, nanotechnology and clean
and 0.24 million blind children in India.Cataract and energy initiatives coming from research labs and academia.
refractive error remain the leading causes of blindness and
visual impairment, respectively, in India (Wadhdwani et al., Deep tech differs from high tech, which refers more broadly
2020, Khanna., 2018). to technical innovations and advancements Kerner, S. M.
(n.d.) Retrieved February 25, 2025.
The Sports which are Covered
1) Swimming
2) Chess
3) Judo
4) Cricket
5) Shot put
6) Running (Athletes)
Figure No. 1 Visually impairment Statistics of India

Corresponding author: vrushali.limaye@fergusson.edu
1
Institute of Management Development and Research, Pune
Cite this Paper :
Mercy, F., Aniket D. B., Radhika D. M., Pranav B. L., Gargi D. J., Vrushali, L., (2025)
Deep Tech in Sports: Making Sports Accessible for Visually challenged Players, JMDR
40