Review workload to avoid stress injuries
As the T20 World Cup looms, all eyes focus on pacer Jasprit Bumrah. He was rested for the Asia Cup after straining his back. For Indian cricket fans, his fitness has become a national passion—as intense as the matches India plays. The Asia Cup debacle showed the importance of those toe-crushing yorkers and tight bowling spells only Bumrah has mastered to torment batters across continents in any condition. Injury has not afflicted cricket alone. Take the case of multiple Olympic and World Championships medallist P V Sindhu. She withdrew from the Worlds due to a stress fracture after the Commonwealth Games gold.
Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra had to skip the CWG after his silver at the World Championships in July due to a groin strain. He got back into rehabilitation at a world-class facility in Germany. He returned a month later to compete at the Lausanne Diamond League last month and qualify for the final in Zurich. Despite getting the best fitness support, sports at the highest level can kill.
This leads us to two aspects of modern sport—injury and workload management. They are an integral part of sportspersons. The calendar is getting gruelling, and so is the pressure to perform. After Covid, the calendar has gotten cramped with back-to-back tournaments across all sports. A top international cricketer like Bumrah plays close to 200 days of cricket, including the Indian Premier League. A top badminton player, to maintain ranking, has to play as many tournaments as possible. It’s similar to most professional sports. Injury management over the years has improved drastically, even in India.
BCCI has a system considered one of the best in the world. There are regular fitness tests and assessments, and there is little chance of players hiding injuries. Even in Olympic sports, systems are in place. The Sports Authority of India has introduced a Central Athlete Injury Management System to monitor players’ injury, assessment and recovery. There are support groups that provide physios and masseurs to elite athletes. It’s a beginning, but a lot more can be done.
To avoid injuries, the cricket board or the sports federations must step back and rethink. They must prioritise tournaments, assess the vulnerability of athletes and chalk out a programme that would balance the workload and stop burn-outs. After all, sport is the ultimate loser if top athletes fall prey to injuries.