SAI, Safdarjung Sports Injury Centre sign MoU to strengthen sports science ecosystem
New Delhi, July 8 (TNT): The Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Safdarjung Sports Injury Centre (SIC) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in sports science, sports medicine, athlete rehabilitation, research, innovation, education and capacity building.
The agreement, signed under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, aims to create an integrated framework by combining the expertise, infrastructure and scientific capabilities of both institutions to provide comprehensive support to Indian athletes and support staff.
The partnership will promote evidence-based sports science and medical practices, facilitate multidisciplinary research, strengthen injury prevention and rehabilitation, and enhance athlete performance through scientific interventions.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao and Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava.
On behalf of SAI, the agreement was signed by Bibhu Kalyan Nayak, while Deepak Joshi signed on behalf of SIC.
Hari Ranjan Rao said the future of high-performance sport depends on the seamless integration of sports science and sports medicine, adding that the collaboration would promote scientific innovation, athlete monitoring and rehabilitation to build a world-class support ecosystem.
Punya Salila Srivastava said sports medicine and sports science have become indispensable to athlete health and performance, and the partnership reflects the commitment of both ministries to develop robust systems for injury prevention, clinical care, rehabilitation and scientific research.
Bibhu Kalyan Nayak said the collaboration would facilitate multidisciplinary research, standardised clinical and sports science protocols, knowledge exchange and advanced athlete support services, leading to improved performance and long-term athlete health.
Deepak Joshi said the partnership would further strengthen research, education, rehabilitation and evidence-based sports medicine for the benefit of athletes across the country.
The two organisations said the collaboration aligns with the Government’s vision of building a scientifically enabled, athlete-centric and globally competitive sporting ecosystem.
It also complements flagship programmes such as Khelo India and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), while supporting India’s long-term goal of emerging as a leading sporting nation under the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision.
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