Beyond medals at CWG 2026: IOA medical team keeps India’s team fit in Glasgow fight

NEW DELHI: As Indian athletes chase medals at the ongoing Commonwealth Games, an equally important competition is taking center stage. Behind every performance is the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) medical team, which works round the clock to ensure that the athletes stay fit, recover quickly and remain race-ready despite the demanding schedule.The medical department of the IOA, which is headed by the well-known orthopedic surgeon Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, has been operating since the contingent arrived in Scotland. Assisted by physiotherapists Sumansh Sivalanka, Chris Pedra and Debashish Das, the team oversees injury management, physiotherapy, recovery protocols and cross-disciplinary rehabilitation.“It’s an amazing journey because my team of Sumansh Sivalanka, Chris Pedra and Debashish Das work with the athletes even before the Games begin.

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For me personally, it is comforting when team managers come to me and tell me that our presence is comforting and adds value,” said Dr Pardiwala.The task has been made more difficult by the absence of a central Athletes’ Village at Glasgow 2026. With the Indian contingent spread over three hotels, the IOA has set up its main treatment center at the Mercure Hotel while deploying medical staff to all team bases to ensure athletes have access to immediate care whenever needed.The health unit also serves smaller contingents such as swimming and gymnastics that do not travel with specialist doctors or physiotherapists. Major teams, including athletics, have their own medical staff but continue to coordinate with the central IOA support system.For athletes competing over multiple days, recovery has become as essential as training. Physiotherapy sessions, movement work and rehabilitation programs are designed to minimize the risk of injury while helping athletes maintain peak performance.“The greatest satisfaction is seeing the smiles on the athletes’ faces after a hard day’s work,” said Dr. Pardiwala.While medals will dominate the headlines in the coming days, each podium finish will also owe something to the doctors, physiotherapists and support staff whose work begins before the athletes step onto the field and often continues long after the competition is over.For the IOA, this goal goes beyond medals – to ensure that every Indian athlete enters the competition confident that they have a dedicated support team firmly behind them.