Sports and Exercise Medicine in India: The Past and the Challenges

Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM) started in India with Postgraduate (PG) Diploma in Sports Medicine (DSM) in 1986-87 and Doctor of Medicine (MD) more than two decades later. However, the concept of exercise is medicine can be traced back to the ancient Indus Valley civilisation. To fully develop and utilise this specialty, there is a need of continuously updating the current DSM and MD syllabus to world-class level, introduction of SEM into undergraduate curriculum, opening of SEM training-research institutes, recruitment of SEM-physicians as faculty and experts in various government and non government programmes and organisations dealing with various aspects of Sports Medicine (SM), Exercise Medicine (EM) and Sports and Exercise Sciences (SES). With only adequate development and growth of SEM and SES, will the dream of making India a fit, healthy and a world sports-giant be materialised. This review article has been compiled to provide information regarding SEM as a new medical specialty in India, its history and the current challenges.