'India lacks sports medicine experts'

The number of sports medicine experts required to improve the standard of sports is desperately lacking in the country, lamented Indian Federation of Sports Medicine president Dr P S M Chandran.

The Sport Authority of India (SAI) has only three sports doctors, two physios, two sports psychologists and one nutritionist for the entire country, Chandran said.

"India needs at least 50 to 60 sports doctors for various national camps only," he said while addressing a seminar on sports medicines.

"Currently, we are having vast shortage of man-power in the form of sports doctors and sports psychologists," the former Chief Medical Officer of Hockey India said.

Stating that sports bodies are also responsible for the scenario, Chandran claimed even the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the richest sports body of the country, does not have a qualified sports doctor.

"We do not have an institute to impart courses on sports medicine and science," he said adding former Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken had proposed to set up a National Institute of Sports Science and Medicine, which was placed before the Union Cabinet in September 2011 but no final decision was taken.

He said some universities are offering diploma course in Sports Medicine, besides the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala.

The seminar was organised by the sports department of Tata Steel.