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National Sports Policy 2025
What National Sports Policy can do for India’s athletes
Context: As India prepares to roll out the much-anticipated National Sports Policy 2025, a major shift is underway — one that places sports science, sports medicine, and technology at the core of athlete development.
Why Is Sports Science Crucial for India’s Athletic Growth?
- India has made considerable progress in global competitions, but consistent excellence demands more than just training and talent.
- Sustained performance requires: Injury prevention and early intervention, Biomechanical efficiency, Nutrition and recovery optimisation and Mental health and cognitive conditioning.
- The National Sports Policy 2025 acknowledges these needs, placing evidence-based medicine, analytics, and high-performance technologies at the heart of the athletic journey.
What Key Areas Will the Policy Focus On?
The policy identifies several high-impact areas that have long been underemphasised in India’s sporting ecosystem:
- Injury surveillance and early treatment, ensuring athlete longevity
- Biomechanics and performance analytics, to refine technique and prevent overload
- Nutrition and recovery science, for small but decisive performance gains
- Mental conditioning and psychological resilience, which are essential in modern competitive sports
What Infrastructure Is Being Developed for Sports Science?
India’s sporting infrastructure is being significantly upgraded to align with the new policy goals:
- The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is enhancing facilities at regional centres and National Centres of Excellence
- The SAI Bengaluru centre, a hub under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), now boasts state-of-the-art sports science labs
- A Return to Sports division has been established at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi
- These centres foster multi-disciplinary collaboration between coaches, physiotherapists, psychologists, orthopaedic surgeons, and data analysts — a model that reflects global best practices.
How Is Medical Support Being Strengthened for International Competitions?
- In a groundbreaking move, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, along with the Indian Olympic Association, formed a 10-member medical panel for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- For the first time, India had a dedicated medical team stationed on-site, real-time injury management and recovery oversight and immediate health decision-making support for athletes.
- This initiative signals a serious commitment to athlete welfare, especially during high-stakes international events.
What Role Will Technology and Innovation Play in Sports Governance?
- The policy also prioritises technology for transparency and performance:
- AI-powered platforms will track training loads, injury risk, and performance metrics
- Real-time dashboards will enable data-driven decision-making
- Monitoring tools will help coaches and administrators intervene early and course-correct when necessary
- Moreover, the policy goes beyond application — it promotes sports innovation by proposing: A sports innovation task force, Research grants to educational and scientific institutions and A pipeline for developing India-specific tools and technologies.
