PhD, Associate Professor M.A. Novoselov¹
PhD, Associate Professor E.N. Skarzhinskaya^2
1The Russian University of Sport «GTSOLIFK», Moscow
²Moscow University for Industriy and Finance "Synergy", Moscow

Keywords: digital sports, future games, phygital movement, Olympic Esports Games, technology-driven sports.

Introduction Modern individuals engaged in physical culture and sports increasingly interact with digital services, including virtual and augmented reality technologies, sensory controllers, performance-tracking gadgets, and sports metaverses. Public figures, scholars, and coaches are actively defining the objective processes of digital transformation in sports—a shift that has given rise not only to new sports disciplines but also to international sports projects.

Research Objective To substantiate the concept of "technology-driven sports."

Methods and Research Organization The study was conducted from 2022 to 2024 through scientific literature analysis and the implementation of educational programs for training specialists in technology-driven sports, including operators of FPV drones.

Results and Discussion Contemporary research and expert discussions confirm that technical and model-engineering sports equipped with digital services, along with digital sports, constitute technology-driven sports. Experts often reference disciplines that align with groups 2, 3, and 5 of L.P. Matveev’s sports classification but share a unifying trait: integration with digital services.

Technology-driven sports are defined as a category of sports where:

• Equipment constitutes a technical solution.
• Training and competition rely on digital services.

The key criterion for inclusion is the mandatory use of a digital service codified in the sport’s rules. Without it, competitive activity is impossible, even if technical equipment is employed (such sports would otherwise fall under "technical sports").

Digital services in these sports may include:

• Hardware-software systems for assessing physical activity.
• Digitally created training/competition environments (e.g., phygital platforms).

The phygital movement positions technology-driven sports as its foundation. Projects like Future Games require athletes to compete in both physical and digital realms. The IOC’s planned Olympic Esports Games, supported by international federations, will further institutionalize these disciplines across digital platforms, accelerating their global adoption.

Conclusion Integrating technology-driven sports into educational curricula will cultivate a talent pipeline for diverse professions, including defense sectors. For instance, training FPV drone operators—a emerging military specialty—showcases how these sports bridge civilian and strategic applications.

References 

1. Skarzhinsky, N. S., & Beresneva, V. A. (2024). Olimpiyskie kibersportivnye igry: istoriya i perspektivy [Olympic Esports Games: History and prospects]. Nauchny Vestnik MGUSiT: Sport, Turizm, Gostepriimstvo [Scientific Bulletin of Moscow State University of Sports and Tourism: Sports, Tourism, Hospitality], 2(80), 104–112.
2. Charyeva, M. O., Lednev, V. A., & Skarzhinskaya, E. N. (2024). Tsifrovye vidy sporta: ozhidaniya, real’nost’ i perspektivy [Digital sports: Expectations, reality, and prospects]. Synergy University.