PATHANAMTHITTA: An Indian taekwondo coach is all set to launch an electronic scoring system (ESS) he has developed for competitions in the Korean martial art. This will replace the manual system in use in the country. A native of Vayalar, in Alappuzha, 27-year-old Ameer has represented India in international competitions and is also a national-level referee. He is currently coach of the Pathanamthitta district team and is the youngest international trainer in the country.
“Under the current system, the winner is decided based on average points awarded by judges over three two-minute rounds. Contestants are unable to figure out their points after each round as the live score is not exhibited on screen,” says Ameer. “If a judge misses a kick, it will affect the total points of a contestant and even alter the final result. As contestants have no access to the live score they cannot even lodge protests. The shortcomings of the current scoring system is one of the major problems being faced by contestants in India,” he asserts.
“This is what prompted me to develop the ESS and I am now ready to launch it. The Electronic Application for Route Networking Software, or EARNS, can be used for accurate judging at a very low cost. It will address the current shortcomings and can be used anywhere in the world,” Ameer said.In Olympic and international competitions recognised by World Taekwondo (WT), the governing body of the sport, the protection scoring system (PSS) is used for refereeing.
“PSS has a pair of electronic body protectors (EHBs), an electronic head protector (EHP), sensing socks, and a receiver operation program. The cost of this system is in the lakhs and its maintenance costs are also high. My ESS, on the other hand, involves low investment and is simple to operate. It can be handled with basic computer knowledge and its main merit is it can provide accurate judgements. Competitors can see their live scores on the screen and adjust their performance accordingly,” said Ameer. “My system has computers running either Windows or Apple software, and mobile phones with either Android or iOS operating system. A free application connects the mobile phones to the computer software. Wi-Fi is the root modem. It can be used at all levels of competition.”
Ameer’s father, Yousuf A, is an ardent Bruce Lee fan. It was his dream to teach his children taekwondo. And when his youngest son evinced interest, Yousuf enrolled the class VII student in the taekwondo academy in Vayalar. Ameer began competing in 2007 while still in school. He became the Alappuzha district team’s trainer when he was 17 years old. He represented Kerala in the national championship in 2009.His career graph surprised even his parents, trainers, friends and villagers. Ameer became the youngest international taekwondo coach in India after successfully completing the WT selection trails.