Under the theme From Performance to Prevention: Integrating Science, Medicine & Technology, the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) organized SportsMed 2026, which brought together top medical professionals, specialists in sports medicine, legislators, hospital administrators, and sports practitioners to talk about the future of sports healthcare in India.

The summit was attended by eminent speakers like Mr. Prashant Sharma, Chairman, ICC National Healthcare Committee and Managing Director, Charnock Hospitals; Dr. Sankar Sengupta, Vice President, CAHO, and Medical Superintendent & Professor, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute; Mr. Sibananda Mishra, Regional Director-in-Charge, NSERC Kolkata, Sports Authority of India (SAI); Mr. Ranadeep Moitra, former cricketer and sports performance specialist; Ms. Richa S. Debgupta, Co-Chair, ICC National Healthcare Committee and Executive Vice President, Fortis Hospitals; Dr. Abhijit Sen, Consultant Orthopaedic, Joint Replacement and Sports Injury Surgeon; Dr. Khawer Naveed Siddiqui, Head of Preventive Cardiology, B.M. Birla Heart Research Centre and Dr. Indranil Khan, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Youth Services & Sports, Government of West Bengal.

In addition to highlighting the significance of increased cooperation between healthcare, sports science, and policy stakeholders to improve athlete wellbeing and create a more robust sporting ecosystem in India, the summit provided a forum for discussions on preventive care, injury management, rehabilitation, nutrition, and technology-driven innovations.

Dr. Indranil Khan, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Youth Services & Sports, Government of West Bengal, said, “With Khelo India, West Bengal’s sports infrastructure, sports personnel, and athletes’ overall performance will undergo a significant transformation. Through professional assistance in the form of coaching, sports medicine, fitness coaching, and injury management, we must develop and support our players during their early years. There will be a significant improvement in sports medicine, and it won’t be limited to Kolkata. Instead, it will be decentralized so that players throughout West Bengal can get support and opportunities. This change will be spearheaded by the government, but I would also like to invite business owners and other interested parties to come invest in sports and contribute to this change”.

A great initiative for the expansion of sports medicine infrastructure in Bengal.

Priyanka Dutta