Content value: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGhuabOvdmI&t=5s

XR Meets Tradition: Experts Reimagine the Future of Traditional Sports | TSGDAY 2025 In a rapidly evolving digital world, the International Council of Traditional Sports and Games (ICTSG) hosted a groundbreaking XR Experts Panel during TSGDAY 2025. This exclusive session brought together pioneers in Extended Reality (XR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) to explore how immersive technology can safeguard, promote, and reinvent traditional games for the future. The Panel

Dr. Richard Kennard – Founder, PoseAR Augmented Reality Martial Arts Training App Christine Schwarz – Co-Founder, Virtual Round Ballers Mixed Reality Sports Simulations Muhammad Hadi – Founder, BaseX CricketXR

Moderated by the TSG Team, the discussion ranged from personal journeys into sports technology to bold visions of the metaverse as a cultural time capsule for traditional games. Opening Vision The TSG Team opened the conversation by highlighting their mission: "We have more than 160 catalogued traditional sports and games — some structured, some flexible, many long-forgotten. Our goal is to document them, create an encyclopedia, and bring them alive in immersive experiences. How can a non-technical community like ours take the first step?" Expert Stories & Insights Dr. Richard Kennard – From Taekwondo Parent to XR Innovator Richard’s entry into XR began in a Taekwondo dojo. Watching his young son train sparked an idea — what if learners could step inside a hologram of the perfect move? This vision led him to develop AR training tools that overlay correct form on learners in real time. While the benefits to muscle memory were huge, the challenge was human proprioception — solved through “freeze frame” holograms players could literally step into. Christine Schwarz – Creating Basketball Without Barriers Christine’s journey was fueled by missed opportunities in her youth. She envisioned VR basketball that was welcoming to all ages and skill levels. Her VR game focuses on realistic ball physics, defense-only gameplay, and featuring both male and female legends. “With VR, you can try a sport without fear of judgment. It’s especially empowering for girls, who drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys.” Muhammad Hadi – Precision Training in Cricket & Baseball Hadi’s simulators allow players to face any opponent, any speed, anywhere in the world. His systems measure bat speed, ball impact, and stance with extreme accuracy. “In real life, you may not have access to the best opponents. In VR, you can play against them every day.” Key ICTSG Questions & Expert Responses How can TSG convert its archives into immersive XR?

Richard: Start with basic movements, record them, then let players interact with their own progress. Christine: Engage Gen Z by placing traditional games into interactive digital environments. Hadi: Begin with casual, fun experiences before building high-precision simulations.

What were your biggest challenges?

Richard: Lack of proprioception — solved with “freeze frame” movement stages. Christine: Achieving realistic basketball physics — solved with NBA-level physics experts. Hadi: Perfecting bat-ball collision — solved through years of iterative development.

Key Takeaways for the TSG Community

Start simple — pick games with easier mechanics to digitize first. Document before training — casual experiences first, competitive physics later. Capture the joy — record the emotional value of each game from community voices. Use VR’s unique perspectives to teach rules and positioning. Engage youth with movement-based gameplay, not just observation. Prototype quickly with small groups before scaling up.

Closing Thoughts from the Experts Christine: “Adapt games to today’s technology, and evolve them as technology improves.” Richard: “Go where no one’s been before — that’s where innovation lives.” Hadi: “Get games into people’s hands first — the rest will follow.” TSG Team Final Message “Our mission is clear — document, digitize, and deliver traditional sports experiences that inspire. We’re not replacing tradition; we’re preserving it for future generations to live, learn, and love.”