Timely intervention by SAI doctors helps ace cyclist Ronaldo Singh get back on his feet

One of India’s ace sprint cyclists, Ronaldo Singh, was back on his feet after he was provided timely and optimal intervention by the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) Athlete Wellness Center, after he felt immobilized by a pain in his lower back after practice in Slovenia.

Ronaldo Singh developed lower back spasms, possibly due to inadequate hydration, on the last day of the team’s training in Nova Mesto ahead of their trip to Portugal.

Within minutes of alerting the SAI around midnight last week, the Athlete Wellness Center swung into action and facilitated some intervention through a video conference to help reduce his pain.

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A top physiotherapist, Dr Danish, was able to guide the coach RK Sharma and Ronaldo Singh to make the optimal use of the TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) machine with the team. He also suggested a couple of isometric exercises and some medication. In about 15 minutes, Ronaldo Singh felt the pain come down by half and was able to get on his feet.

Athlete Wellness Center to help all athletes under SAI

Dr Pralay Majumdar, Head of Sports Science, SAI, said the timely response last week was in keeping with the philosophy behind the establishment of the Athlete Wellness Center.

In a media release, Dr Pralay Majumdar said providing the best intervention without loss of time was of prime importance. He said:

“It was important and satisfying that we were able to provide the best intervention to Ronaldo Singh without loss of time. Since the Athlete Wellness Center was launched in June this year, we have assisted 25 athletes under its umbrella."

The Athlete Wellness Center was initially started for all athletes who came under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), but was eventually extended to all athletes under the SAI umbrella. Dr Pralay added:

“We had started this for TOPS Development Group athletes but have expanded it to include all athletes in the SAI National Centers of Excellence across the country.”

The multi-layered design of the Athlete Wellness Center allows health and fitness issues to be dealt with quickly from the support of the National Centers of Excellence to the regional National Referral Repository Team of doctors and physiotherapists to the central core team of experts.