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Introduction

India has immense sporting talent, but global success remains sporadic due to weak systemic support. While passion is abundant, the absence of structured, science-backed, and medical support mechanisms has often limited athlete longevity and sustained performance. The National Sports Policy 2025 marks a paradigm shift by embedding sports science and technology into the core of athlete development.

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Key Factors Behind India’s Underperformance in Global Sports

• Lack of Sports Science Integration: Without structured application of biomechanics, recovery science, and performance analytics, training often lacks precision.
• Inadequate Focus on Injury Prevention & Management: Chronic injuries and lack of timely intervention shorten athlete careers and affect consistency.
• Neglect of Mental Conditioning: Mental resilience and cognitive support are critical under high-pressure global stages but were long overlooked.
• Fragmented Medical Support Ecosystem: Absence of coordinated medical teams left athletes vulnerable during international tournaments.
  Eg: Paris Olympics 2024 marked the first time India deployed a dedicated 10-member medical team on-ground.
• Underdeveloped Technological Governance Systems: Performance tracking lacked real-time, AI-driven insights, resulting in reactive rather than proactive training.
• Lack of Innovation Pipeline for India-Specific Solutions: No structured push for research and development in India-specific sports innovation ecosystems.
  

How National Sports Policy 2025 Seeks to Enhance Athlete Performance

• Embedding Sports Science as a Core Pillar: Policy marks the first institutional embedding of biomechanics, recovery science, and evidence-based training.
  Eg: SAI’s National Centres of Excellence now include world-class sports science facilities, like in Bengaluru under TOPS.
• Strengthening Injury Prevention & Early Medical Support: Emphasis on injury surveillance, early intervention, and Return to Sports protocols to ensure athlete longevity.
  Eg: Multi-disciplinary hubs at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Stadium bring together experts(physio, surgeon, orthopaedics)  to offer integrated support to athletes.
• Prioritising Mental Health & Cognitive Conditioning: Policy considers mental health non-negotiable, embedding psychological support in athlete ecosystems.
• Nutrition & Recovery Science for Marginal Gains: Focus on marginal gains through structured nutrition and high-performance recovery equipment.
• Real-time Technology for Training Monitoring: AI and dashboards to track training loads, predict risks, and enable early corrective actions.
  Eg: Biomechanics and performance analytics to refine training and technique.
• Medical Panel for Global Events: Dedicated on-ground medical teams to ensure injury management and athlete safety during competitions.
• Fostering India-specific Sports Innovation: Establishment of innovation task force and research grants to develop tools tailored to Indian sports context.
  Eg: Educational and research institutions to be integrated for interdisciplinary solutions under NSP 2025.
  

Conclusion

India’s sporting underperformance, despite talent, has stemmed from lack of systemic, scientific, and psychological support. The National Sports Policy 2025 is a transformative shift, integrating sports science, technology, and innovation not as supplementary but as foundational. By institutionalising precision-based training and health systems, the policy aims to transform Indian athletes from occasional contenders into consistent global champions

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