Muristek
Vinayak Padmadeo
New Delhi, January 28
Indian athletes often hide injuries going into major events, and a prominent example is wrestler Bajrang Punia at last year's Tokyo Olympics, where he won a bronze medal. Some others too carried injuries to Tokyo, while a few boxers too had injury issues in the lead-up to the Games.
However, hiding injuries won't be possible in the future ndash; the Sports Authority of India (SAI) will keep a close eye on athletes so that remedial intervention could be provided to them at the earliest.
The athletes will undergo tests including a musculoskeletal examination — used to assess range of motion and painful joints or soft tissue structures — which can help in early diagnosis and intervention if done in time.
SAI will start testing the TOPS athletes, both from the core group and from the developmental group, first during their induction into the scheme and then twice a year. Women boxers, camping at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here, will be the first set of athletes to undergo the tests, from February 1.
"We have been trying to incorporate sports science in everyday training for some time. These tests for the TOPS athletes are the first step in that respect," SAI director general Sandip Pradhan told The Tribune. "With these tests, we will be able to keep a constant tab on the fitness of athletes and identify and address injury issues at the earliest."
SAI will take the lead in conducting the physiological, anthropometric, nutritional and psychological tests at its various centres while some tests will be conducted in other laboratories too. The gathered data will be tied in with the Central Athlete Injury Management System. The total cost for this exercise, involving 244 athletes, is estimated to be a little over Rs86 lakh.