Bibhu Nayak, the Brigadier General of India's Olympic team, may never have been in Paris today if his country had not taken home a single medal from the Sydney Olympics. Nevertheless, the same initiative that made sure Olympic medallist Rajyavardhan Rathore trained with the top instructors outside of India also took Brig (Dr.) Nayak Sports full-time.

"Sports ka keeda hai," he exclaimed, beamingly remembering his early days of assisting sportsmen as part of a team of Army doctors. After receiving two training assignments from Cuba, he was assigned to the Army Sports Institute and worked on creating a spots science program. After his travels led him to Indian boxing, he was invited to join the Indian hockey team in 2009 and remained there till 2014.

Recently, Brig (Dr) Nayak, the head of the National Centre for Sports Sciences and Research at the Sports Authority of India, joined the 13-person Indian Olympic Association medical team that would be traveling with the Indian delegation to Paris 2024. The recovery facility inside the Olympic Village reserved for Indian competitors is overseen by the former chairman of the FIH for health and safety.

Dr. Nayak worked on the budget and finalization of the equipment for the recovery area, including the Game Ready cryo-compression and contrast treatment machines, cold baths, and sleep pods.

“The Indian embassy in Paris was actively helped us with the recovery room. Air commodore Prashant Arya, air attaché, Indian embassy in Paris, contacted local dealers and vendors to source equipment such as sleep pods and ice baths. We have purchased the three sleep pods and after the Games, two sleep pods will go to SAI Bengaluru campus and one will go to SAI Patiala,” said Nayak, who is attending the Olympics for the fourth time.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Priyanka Pandey/MSM)