ISIC Sports Injury Clinic Launch: Sugandh Ahluwalia Lays Out Vision for Paralympic Tie-Ups, Mental Rehab and Knowledge Partnerships

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As India works steadily towards becoming a sporting nation, the country is witnessing a significant rise in the number of athletes across disciplines with each passing year. Alongside this growth, however, comes the urgent need to develop and deliver increasingly demanding, world-class recovery and rehabilitation pathways.

Taking a decisive step in that direction, ISIC Multispecialty Hospital has launched its state-of-the-art Sports Injury Clinic in New Delhi, aimed at providing Indian sportspersons access to global-standard infrastructure for injury management in an affordable and accessible manner at home.

Speaking to myKhel on the sidelines of the launch, Chief Strategy Officer Sugandh Ahluwalia outlined ISIC's broader vision, one rooted in knowledge-sharing rather than capital investment, deeper engagement with the Paralympic ecosystem, and a strong belief that mental rehabilitation must be treated as a core pillar of an athlete's recovery journey.

Knowledge Over Capital: ISIC's Collaboration Model

Ahluwalia made it clear that ISIC's future partnerships, especially with sporting bodies, will not be driven by financial investments alone. "We are not in a position to invest. But we definitely want to share the knowledge and the technical part," she said.

Instead, ISIC aims to help institutions expand and set up high-quality sports injury and rehabilitation centres by providing technical expertise, operational frameworks and trained manpower. A key part of this model will involve ISIC sending its students and professionals every six months to ensure facilities are run in a standardised, professional and clinically robust manner.

This knowledge-first approach, she noted, allows ISIC to scale its philosophy of care without diluting standards.

Paralympic Committee Tie-Ups on the Horizon

One of the most significant takeaways from the interaction was ISIC's intent to work closely with the Paralympic ecosystem in India. Ahluwalia confirmed that preliminary discussions have already taken place with the Paralympic Committee.

"The ball is in our court right now because we need to update our facilities," she explained.

ISIC is currently undergoing a 100-bed expansion, a crucial step before formalising plans for a dedicated Paralympic Training Centre. Once the expansion is complete, the hospital plans to shift focus toward building a facility that can support elite para-athletes with specialised rehabilitation, recovery and performance support.

Mental Rehabilitation: The Often-Missed Piece

A defining feature of ISIC's Sports Injury Clinic is its strong focus on psychological and mental rehabilitation, an area Ahluwalia feels is often misunderstood in India.

"When we talk about rehabilitation in India, many people think about addiction centres. But psychological rehabilitation is important for everyone," she said.

From spinal cord injury patients to orthopaedic, cardiac and even athletes dealing with fear of reinjury, ISIC treats mental health as a core pillar of recovery, not an add-on. The clinic houses a dedicated team of psychologists and psychiatrists who work alongside physical rehabilitation experts.

"It's not just the athletes, we all face our mental battles," Ahluwalia added, underlining ISIC's belief that recovery is as much about the mind as it is about the body.

This philosophy is deeply ingrained at ISIC, reflected in what she described as a guiding belief passed down by her father - that it is the power of the mind that enables individuals to overcome challenges, whether in sport, academics or life.

Why ISIC Aims to Be the Next Destination for Athletes

While India has produced renowned sports injury specialists, Ahluwalia stressed that ISIC's edge lies in its multidisciplinary, team-based model. "Here we are not talking about one individual. We are talking about a multidisciplinary team under one roof," she said.

The same team that treats complex spinal cord injuries will now also manage sports injuries-on both IPD and OPD bases-ensuring continuity of care. This eliminates the need for athletes to move between hospitals, physiotherapy centres, dieticians and diagnostic labs.

Inside ISIC's State-of-the-Art Sports Injury Clinic

The Sports Injury Clinic has been built around the idea that "movement is medicine." Its standout features include:

• TecnoBody Digital Movement Laboratory with Digital Mirror Wall, 3D cameras and real-time biofeedback
• Walker View Gait Analysis for walking and running pattern assessment
• ProKin Balance Platforms for proprioceptive and neuromuscular training
• Hydrotherapy and low-impact recovery programmes
• Advanced robotics and 7K visualisation systems for precision-led care

Treatment protocols include non-invasive and minimally invasive techniques such as Arthroscopy, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS), PRP, Stem Cell Therapy/BMAC and Prolotherapy. Rehabilitation is delivered exclusively by Masters-level physiotherapists, supported by naturopathy and evidence-based clinical nutrition.

Addressing a Growing National Need

The clinic's launch comes at a critical time. With nearly half of physically active Indians experiencing musculoskeletal injuries, and ACL injuries among young athletes rising sharply due to early specialisation and inadequate rehab, experts warn that fragmented care often leads to recurrent injuries and shortened careers.

ISIC's integrated model aims to plug these gaps by offering prehabilitation, accurate diagnosis, surgical excellence and data-driven rehabilitation in one seamless pathway.