KOTA KINABALU: Oct 17, 2026 – The Coca-Cola: Bina Juara grassroots development programme has introduced sports science and technology to drive Sabah youth football.
The strategic collaboration between Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Coca-Cola Malaysia breaks with the tradition of conventional sports clinics as it enables tactical weaknesses and performance leaps among youth players to be detected live at the UMS Stadium on 14 October 2026 ago.
Dean of the Faculty of Education and Sports Studies at UMS, Associate Professor Dr Soon Singh Bikar Singh, said the integration of sports science and technology gives a new dimension to community sports development.
He also added it is able to identify areas of weakness and performance problems on the spot for immediate intervention by the coaching team during matches. The innovation also opens up merit opportunities for researchers and university students to incorporate the latest sports technology applications into their academic syllabus, he said.
Lecturer at the Faculty of Education and Sports Studies at UMS, Dr Jorrye Bin Jakiwa, disclosed that the digital instruments used include GPS performance-tracking vests, artificial intelligence (AI) video analysis, and smart ball sensors in a kicking chamber. He explained that data generated from the GPS vests enables the coaching team to measure critical metrics such as maximum speed, distance covered on the field, and the breakdown of athletes’ running patterns, whether jogging, striding, or all-out sprint.
“This physical data allows us to compare baseline standards with data from World Cup-level players as a performance benchmark. Through the smart shin pad component in the kicking chamber, we can detect the balance of impact between the left and right foot to help optimise the player’s overall performance,” said Jorrye.
The Coca-Cola: Bina Juara programme is designed in a series involving eight youth teams aged 16 to 21 to ensure their development graphs are monitored continuously.
“The data from this first phase is the baseline benchmark. The same group of 100 per cent of the players will be re-tested in the second phase next January using the same devices to ensure the accuracy of post-training performance development data,” he added.
Meanwhile, Senior Director of Public Policy for Coca-Cola ASEAN and South Pacific, Claudia Chan, said the initiative reflects Coca-Cola’s continued commitment to empowering young people through sports, education and community engagement, building on more than 90 years of presence in Malaysia.
She said the company is evolving beyond traditional sponsorship of sporting events to support a broader sports development ecosystem. By bringing together the expertise of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), AI-enabled tools, community coach development and holistic player growth, the programme aims to create more opportunities for young athletes to develop their potential both on and off the field.
