How Dr Pardiwala's team is keeping Indian contingent in shape
No central athletes’ village at modest Games, team lodged across three hotels
What is common to Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Neeraj Chopra, P.V. Sindhu and Vinesh Phogat? They are only some of the who’s who of Indian sport who have been under the care of Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, the renowned orthopaedic surgeon from Mumbai, who is again in charge of the medical unit looking after the 122-member Indian contingent at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
A peek into the contingent’s primary medical hub — which looks after the elite athletes’ niggles, battle readiness and mental conditioning — reveals the ‘minimalist’ arrangement that each contingent has had to contend with in this truncated version of the Games with only 10 disciplines.
Unlike the Paris Olympics 2024 or most other multi-event extravaganzas of this magnitude, there is no central athletes’ village, and the 100-plus strength of the Indian contingent means they have been put up in three different hotels in this historic Scottish city.
With the Games at their business end, athletes whose events are over have started to exit, but there is no respite for the medical personnel at the no-frills hub at Mercure Hotel. Dr Pardiwala and his team are rushing out medical personnel across all team locations to provide timely assistance whenever required.
Speaking to the Indian Olympics Association media team, Dr Pardiwala says: ‘’It is a wonderful journey as my team comprising Sumansh Sivalanka, Chris Pedra and Debashish Das were working with the athletes even before the Games began. For me, personally, it is reassuring when team managers come and tell me our presence is reassuring and adds value.’’
Alongside coaches and team managers, the IOA's medical team has been working from the moment the contingent arrived in Scotland, ensuring athletes receive world class medical care, physiotherapy, recovery support and injury management throughout the Games. Recovery, rehabilitation and sports science have become just as important as training itself, particularly during a demanding multi-sport event as this where athletes often compete over successive days.
The IOA medical team also provides vital support to athletes from disciplines without dedicated medical staff. While larger contingents such as athletics have their own doctors and physiotherapists, smaller teams — including swimming and gymnastics — depend on the IOA’s central medical unit for treatment, recovery and ongoing care.
A throwback to Paris 2024 reminds us how Dr Pardiwala, often referred to as a 'miracle man’, had to face online criticism after wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified for being 100 g overweight. The pressure of the role notwithstanding, he says nothing gives him greater satisfaction than seeing athletes regain confidence after a demanding training session or competition. ‘’To see the smile on the faces of athletes is a joy, for they have a hard day at work,’’ the doctor was quoted as saying.
Support system behind Team India
Medical leadership: Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala
Physiotherapy support: Recovery, injury prevention and rehabilitation throughout the Games
24x7 athlete care: Medical personnel deployed across all team hotels with a central treatment hub at Mercure Hotel
Support across sports: The IOA medical team provides medical coverage to contingents without dedicated doctors or physiotherapists
Athlete-first approach: The objective is simple — allow every athlete to focus solely on competition while the support team takes care of everything else